NEW YORK, May 31 (UPI) — An air conditioning unit plunged 28 stories to the street in New York City on Sunday after breaking free of a crane cable, officials say.
The {link:incident occurred: “http://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-32953475″,nw} just before 11 a.m. on Madison Avenue in Manhattan. The cable on a crane attempting to lift the AC unit snapped, and the unit sheared the side of a 30-story building, causing debris to fall and injure at least 10 people, including two crane operators, police say.
{link:Video of the damage: “http://www.nbcnews.com/watch/nbc-news/crane-accident-injures-10-in-new-york-city-454680643749″,nw} shows a large piece of equipment in the middle of the road, surrounded by glass and metal. Several portions on the side of the building appear to show a trail of destruction from the AC unit’s descent.
“Thank God this incident occurred at an hour of the day on a weekend when there weren’t too many people around,” {link:NBC quoted: “http://www.nbcnewyork.com/news/local/Crane-Collapses-in-Midtown-Manhattan-305606991.html”,nw} New York Mayor Bill de Blasio as saying.
Buildings Department Commissioner Rick Chandler told NBC no one had complained about the crane and that all of the necessary permits for its use were “in place.”
Mayor de Blasio said the city would conduct a full investigation into what caused the incident.
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