Killed in the collapse was David Wichs, 38, a Harvard University-educated computer stock trader who worked on nearby Broadway at Tower Research Capital LLC, police said.
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“He really created a life for himself”, she said through tears. “He literally took every opportunity he could find”. Robert Harold of the Legal Aid Society said the crane fell with a loud crashing sound, just outside his office window. Office buildings in the area were evacuated, and the mayor said anyone living in the area could expect disruptions through the weekend and potentially on Monday as well.
Fire officials say one person is dead and two others are seriously injured after a crane collapse in Lower Manhattan. An investigation was underway and the crane operator was being interviewed, de Blasio said.
A buildings department spokesman disputed Stringer’s assertions and said there is “more oversight of cranes in place than ever before”.
At the time, workers were lowering the crane to secure it as winds approached 25 miles per hour, New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio said at a news conference.
The crane, which had the words “Bay Crane” written on its side, was flipped upside down and fell directly onto the street, narrowly missing surrounding buildings. A woman who answered the phone there declined to give her name but said the office staff was “deeply saddened”. The company officials identified as the crane operator, Galasso Trucking Inc., didn’t immediately respond to messages about the collapse.
City officials said there have been no complaints or violations at the site.
(AP Photo/Mary Altaffer). A collapsed crane lies on the street on Friday, Feb. 5, 2016, in NY.
A bystander video taken through a window high above the ground showed the arm descending, then taking the entire crane to the ground. City building inspectors had been at the site only Thursday because the boom was being extended so it could reach farther onto the roof, de Blasio said.
Cranes dotting the skylines of Manhattan and Brooklyn have become increasingly commonplace and are emblematic of a building boom across the city, particularly of high-rise residential and commercial structures.
The crane was being used to replace generators and air conditioners on a building roof and was found to be in good working order when inspected by the Department of Buildings the day before.
New York City Comptroller Scott Stringer issued a statement on Friday criticizing the buildings department for not implementing certain safety improvements.
It happened around 8:45 a.m. Friday in the city’s Financial District. Three other people were hurt by debris. It could bring as much as $80,000 to $100,000.
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Last May, several people were injured when a heating and air conditioning unit became untethered in Midtown, falling 30 stories to the street.
