E-Paper
Why was Pfizer building NYC evacuated? Here's what happened at 235 east 42nd street today
Former Pfizer HQ at 235 E. 42nd St. in NYC was evacuated after falling bricks led crews to discover buckling support beams on the 21st floor.
The building on 235 East 42nd Street, formerly occupied by drug maker Pfizer, was evacuated on Tuesday morning.
According to the New York Times, it started with an emergency call around 8am EDT this morning. The caller reported falling bricks from the building, sparking safety concerns. As emergency crews responded to the incident, they found a steel beam on the building's 21st floor compromised, the New York Fire Department said.
On further inspection, it was found that two support buildings inside the 21st floor were buckling, putting the structure at serious risk. The building was evacuated shortly after.
According to reports, the building is currently under construction to be converted into a residential structure from its previous commercial usage. The architecture firm behind it states that it will contain over 1,600 apartments and will be completed in 2027. It is the biggest commercial-to-residential conversion of a building New York City has ever seen.
Also read: ‘Should be controlled by US’: Trump reiterates Greenland threat at NATO summit
Mayor Mamdani Addresses Building Issues
As of now, NYC fire officials have not clarified what caused the building to buckle under pressure. Though there were no occupants in the building, there were construction workers who were working inside when the beams on the 21st and 22nd floors seemingly buckled.
Additionally, the 38-floor building posed a risk for nearby buildings, NYC Mayor Zohran Mamdani said. He added that because of the risk, a school near the Grand Central Terminal with around 400 children was evacuated. As of now, no other building nearby is known to have been evacuated.
“What they have found thus far is that there are structural issues with the building,” Mayor Mamdani said.
Also read: Washington briefly becomes world's most polluted city, thanks to Trump's Fourth of July fireworks
“I would say beyond that, just for those in the immediate area to follow the instructions of those on the ground, we have seen evacuations not only of the building but also surrounding buildings, as well as a nearby school. And I believe those actions are appropriate at this time.”
Amid a huge media and officials' gathering outside the building, Cliff Jensen, the business agent representing the steam lifters union, provided more details on the incident at a presser.
“Somebody saw that the concrete was coming down,” Jensen said. “The beams started bending, the windows started busting. That’s not something you see."
