Streets Reopen After Debris, Glass Falls From Midtown Skyscraper
Updated Jan. 22 at 5:30 a.m.
NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) – Midtown streets were closed off Monday night after reports of debris and glass falling from a skyscraper under construction.
CBS2's Reena Roy reports that several people said the winds were whipping so hard on Monday it was terrifying to see construction equipment dangling from the extremely tall building on West 57th Street and Sixth Avenue.
A witness took cell phone video from his roof as it was all unfolding. In it, it appears something is swaying back and forth. He tells CBS2 that moments later the top few floors of his apartment building were evacuated.
Police report that around 8 p.m. a construction elevator somehow got knocked loose on the 58th Street side of the building and began smashing against the skyscraper. It sent glass and debris onto the sidewalk below.
According to the developers website there are high end apartments being built there. The NYPD has blocked off the area. Earlier many people were forced to shelter in place while having dinner nearby.
"The fire department came in and the police department came in, locked the door, and said we couldn't leave," Michael Meyer said. "They said there was debris coming off one of these buildings and they were looking up at this really tall one and pointed at that and looked a little panicked, but they cleared the streets out."
Emergency crews were still on hand late Monday night. Authorities told CBS2 that nobody was hurt and it's still unclear how exactly the equipment got loose.
The equipment was secured and the streets reopened around 3 a.m. Tuesday.
