Rescuers were forced to use drones and a ‘robotic dog’ to search for survivors in the highly unstable structure
One person was killed and at least five others injured after a parking garage collapsed in New York City, prompting what local officials called an “extremely dangerous” rescue operation amid fears the rest of the building could give way.
Located in Lower Manhattan not far from City Hall, a large section of the building caved in around 4pm on Tuesday afternoon, with its first floor crashing all the way through to the cellar in a “pancaked” collapse, according to the city’s acting buildings commissioner, Kazimir Vilenchik.
The New York City Fire Department confirmed that one person died in the collapse, while five others were injured, all of them workers at the garage. FDNY Chief of Operations John Esposito said one of the survivors was briefly trapped on an upper floor but was successfully evacuated, adding that four of the five workers required medical treatment and were expected to recover.
Footage purporting to show the moment of the collapse has circulated online, including one clip captured from within the parking garage.
Other videos showed the extent of the damage from outside the building, with cars seen teetering on the edge of a gaping hole in the garage’s roof as dust rises from the structure.
Esposito said rescue efforts were “extremely dangerous” due to instability in the portion of the building still standing, with firefighters forced to retreat after concluding the risk of further collapse was too great. To assess the scene and search for survivors without putting personnel in harm’s way, the department deployed its robotic ‘DigiDog’ to prod through the rubble, while drones were also used to get a look at the building from above.
The fire official added that he believed everyone inside the building had been accounted for, but said rescuers would continue searches into Tuesday night to ensure nobody remained trapped in the wreckage.
The cause of the collapse is not yet known, but city officials said an investigation is ongoing and that nearby buildings would be inspected for damage. What remains of the four-story parking garage is now “completely unstable,” Mayor Eric Adams said. While the mayor added that the building did not appear to have any outstanding code violations, city records obtained by Reuters show that its owners had been cited for 25 violations since 2003, including for “ceiling slab cracks” and “defective concrete” in some areas.
