Gale force winds from Hurricane Sandy buckled a crane on top of a 90-story New York apartment block which was left dangling as the storm intensified.
Police and fire services cleared streets and some other buildings around the building, close to Central Park, which was designed by award-winning French architect Christian de Portzamparc.
No casualties were immediately reported, though some witnesses said parts of the crane had fallen into the street.
Witnesses told the NY1 television news channel that the crane on the top of the One57 building had been swaying all morning as the winds from the storm increased.
Aviadav Benzikry told the channel that large pieces of metal fell from the crane into the street as it buckled backwards.
The 1,004-foot (306 metre) skyscraper, which is due to be finished next year, has some of the most expensive apartments in New York. One penthouse recently sold for more than $90 million, according to the New York Times.
Crane on New York skyscraper buckles in storm winds
