Parking garage collapses in NYC, killing 1; 5 injured

Apr 18, 2023, 1:53 PM | Updated: 7:52 pm

NEW YORK (AP) — A parking garage collapsed Tuesday in lower Manhattan’s Financial District, killing one worker, injuring five and crushing cars as concrete floors fell on top of each other like a stack of pancakes, officials said.

Vehicles tumbled into what looked like a frozen stream of sedans and SUVs. People nearby described a fearsome rumbling, followed by screams.

Ahmed Scott arrived to collect his car after work and found a disaster in the making.

In a video he shot from across the street, someone off-camera yells, “Guard! 911! 911! There’s a building collapsing on Ann Street,” followed by the sound of something crumpling. About 45 seconds later, two women run out, saying the building fell while they were inside it. A man stands on a fire escape as bystanders try to figure out how to help him get down. He eventually did, Scott said.

“I hope ain’t nobody else in there,” Scott recalled thinking, worrying for the garage workers he’d gotten to know.

To Jadess Speller, a student at nearby Pace University, the collapse “felt like an earthquake — like the earth opened up inside, like that’s how violent it was.” Other students described seeing cars falling in the building.

One vehicle landed on its end in the garage entrance, a photo posted by Mayor Eric Adams’ office showed.

Authorities believed they had accounted for everyone inside the building, but searches continued Tuesday evening to make sure no one was in any of the squashed cars, Fire Department Chief of Operations John Esposito said. One garage employee was rescued via a neighboring roof after being trapped on an upper floor, he said.

“He was conscious and alert and moving around, calling us. He just couldn’t get down,” Esposito said. Four of the injured were hospitalized and in stable condition, and the fifth refused medical attention, he said.

The garage caved in around 4 p.m., a few blocks from City Hall and the Brooklyn Bridge, and about half a mile (0.8 km) from the New York Stock Exchange. Pace evacuated an adjacent dorm and classroom building, and canceled all evening classes as it assessed the buildings’ safety. School officials sent the displaced students to a student center while working out other accommodations.

Don Mulligan was on the 17th floor of a nearby hotel when he heard a roar like a jet flying overhead and felt the high-rise sway.

“You knew something was happening,” said Mulligan, of Cincinnati. The hotel was evacuated, he said.

It wasn’t immediately clear what caused the collapse. City Buildings Department records show the three-story structure has been a garage at least since the 1920s, and there are no recent permits for construction.

Messages were left for a parking company that lists the garage as one of its properties.

The collapse left the building “completely unstable,” Adams said at a news conference. Esposito said firefighters had to pull out because of the danger, conducting searches instead with a drone and robotic dog.

The building was “all the way pancaked, collapsed all the way to the cellar floor,” acting Buildings Commissioner Kazimir Vilenchik said.

William Flashnick, 19, was in a Pace classroom when he and his friends thought they heard an explosion and ran to a window to look. As they opened the window, a plume of thick dust rose in the air.

When it cleared, they peered down into the parking structure, where cars were tossed asunder and a top deck had cracked open.

Flashnick initially worried for all of their lives. One of his first thoughts was of the World Trade Center, which looms over the neighborhood.

“We freaked out. Given the history of this place, it’s a little scary,” he said.

___

Associated Press writers Michael R. Sisak and Deepti Hajela contributed.

United States News

Associated Press

Even Nebraska’s nonpartisan Legislature is divided from acrimonious 2023 session

LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — The Nebraska Legislature has long prided itself on being a paragon of collegiality and function, as the only single-chamber, nonpartisan Legislature in the country. But after a vicious 2023 session in which the body of 49 lawmakers remained irreconcilably split, Nebraska’s statehouse is beginning to reflect broad, national discord. The acrimony […]

18 hours ago

Associated Press

Lawsuit alleging ex-deputy falsified arrest report settled for $250K

MOUNT VERNON, Wash. (AP) — A lawsuit filed by a Washington oyster farmer accusing a former county deputy of falsifying an arrest report and urging a person to lie during a domestic-violence investigation has been settled for $250,000. Gerardo Rodarte, the owner of Samish Gold Seafoods, sued Skagit County and former deputy Joseph Gutierrez in […]

18 hours ago

FILE - A person removes snow from the front of his driveway a few days after a winter storm rolled ...

Associated Press

Report: Buffalo’s snow-removal equipment, communications fell short during deadly blizzard

BUFFALO, N.Y. (AP) — Buffalo’s snow-removal fleet was no match for the historic Christmas week blizzard that left 31 people dead in the city, and officials fell short in issuing warnings and providing shelter, according to a report released Friday. The 175-page review of the city’s response by New York University’s Wagner Graduate School of […]

18 hours ago

Ramon Elias Suarez waits while he tries and fails to use an app to apply for asylum near the United...

Associated Press

US expands slots for asylum app at land crossings as demand overwhelms supply

HARLINGEN, Texas (AP) — U.S. authorities on Thursday expanded slots to seek asylum at land crossings with Mexico through a mobile app for the second time in less than a month, seeking to dispel doubts it isn’t a viable option. There are now 1,250 appointments daily at eight land crossings, up from 1,000 previously and […]

18 hours ago

Associated Press

Washington man climbing Mount Rainier dies near summit

MOUNT RAINIER NATIONAL PARK, Wash. (AP) — A Washington state man who was trying to summit Mount Rainier this week collapsed and died near the top of the mountain in the national park, officials said. National Park Service officials said Friday that Brian Harper, of Bremerton, collapsed about 7:30 a.m. Wednesday near the top of […]

18 hours ago

FILE - A black bear that had been previously tranquilized and removed from a Waterbury, Conn., neig...

Associated Press

Connecticut lawmakers vote to allow people to use deadly force as the bear population grows

Connecticut lawmakers voted Friday to take steps to protect people from the state’s growing bear population. But they stopped far short of a bear hunt and restrictions on people unintentionally feeding the hungry animals. The legislation, which cleared the House of Representatives on a 115-32 vote after being revamped by the Senate, instead explicitly allows […]

18 hours ago

Sponsored Articles

...

DAY & NIGHT AIR CONDITIONING, HEATING AND PLUMBING

Here are the biggest tips to keep your AC bill low this summer

PHOENIX — In Arizona during the summer, having a working air conditioning unit is not just a pleasure, but a necessity. No one wants to walk from their sweltering car just to continue to be hot in their home. As the triple digits hit around the Valley and are here to stay, your AC bill […]

...

re:vitalize

Why drug-free weight loss still matters

Wanting to lose weight is a common goal for many people as they progress throughout life, but choosing between a holistic approach or to take medicine can be a tough decision.

...

Day & Night Air Conditioning, Heating and Plumbing

Company looking for oldest air conditioner and wants to reward homeowner with new one

Does your air conditioner make weird noises or a burning smell when it starts? If so, you may be due for an AC unit replacement.

Parking garage collapses in NYC, killing 1; 5 injured