A parking garage collapsed in lower Manhattan, killing one and leaving others injured and potentially trapped under the rubble.
Emergency responders were called to a parking garage near Nassau Street in the Financial District just after 4pm.
One person died in the collapse, according to Mayor Eric Adams, who held a press conference near the site.
“At this time, we only have one DOA,” he said. “I do want to point out that, thank God, we had the robotic dog that was able to go in the building. This is ideally what we talk about – not sending a human being inside a building that was unstable. We were also able to use the technology of a drone to give a real visualisation of what’s happening in this building. At this time, this building is completely unstable and the chief – we do not want to send in someone until we can make sure the building is shored up. But using the necessary technology, we’re able to get a clear view of what’s happening inside the building, for the most part, and do whatever we can to see if there are any more victims.”
Fire officials said during the press conference that there were at least four people with injuries, and that they believe all people at the parking garage have been accounted for, but they are still searching to ensure no one is trapped.
New York City Council member Christopher Marte tweeted that there are a “few” people stuck in an elevator and in the building, though those reports are unconfirmed.
“At 57 Ann St, people are currently trapped in a parking garage due to an internal collapse. I am here with the FDNY who have just entered the building to attempt to rescue a few people stuck in an elevator and in the building,” he wrote. “Hoping everyone is able to get out safely.”
Video and images captured at the scene show cars stacked on top of each other surrounded by concrete rubble. Fire officials said the second floor of the parking deck collapsed onto the first.
A video shared by the New York City mayor’s office showed a street packed with onlookers and police as fire fighters worked from cherry pickers to search for individuals trapped between the floors of the structure.
Officials are urging people to avoid the area while rescue and clean-up operations are underway. Two nearby Pace University building was evacuated following the collapse, according to ABC 7. The university announced that classes would be cancelled for the rest of the day.
Emergency responders are largely staying out of the structure due to fears it may collapse further. They canvassed surrounding businesses to ensure all employees are accounted for.
