Hurricane Sandy toppled a crane at the top of the One57 building at in Midtown Manhattan.
It looks like the crane is about to fall to the street as of 2:30 p.m., reports @NYScanner. The crane is dangling from more than 1,000 feet up and NYPD is responding to the scene, according to Eye Witness News. Workers are struggling to dismantle the crane because of the winds.
"At approximately 2:35pm today, the One57 tower crane boom became damaged by the high winds of hurricane Sandy. The hurricane storm winds have pushed the crane boom over the cab section of the high rise crane at One 57th Street," Mary Costello, senior vice president of Lend Lease, said in a statement.
"The crane was last inspected on Friday, October 26 by the Operating Engineer from Postroad Ironworks following a checklist provided by the Engineer of Record. We are working with structural engineers and the DOB on evaluating any additional measures that can be taken to secure the boom and crane structure. Current weather and wind conditions remain very severe.”
Construction workers on the scene have told Business Insider's Julia La Roche the crane will most likely fall to the streets.
Mayor Michael Bloomberg said the Extell Company, which owns the building, is fully cooperating with the city.
No injuries have been reported and the streets have been cleared as a precaution, the AP is reporting.
Three buildings including the Meridian Hotel are being completely evacuated, according to NBC New York. A "collapse zone has been established.
Debris, glass, and bricks were flying down on to 56th Street, according to The New York Times.
A live video of the scene is unfolding here. From the top of Bloomberg's headquarters there's another live view of the action. Meanwhile downtown, there are reports of scaffolding coming apart and crashing down on to Broadway.
One57 will be Manhattan's tallest residential building when completed.
Currently, no one lives in the building, though it's more than 50 percent sold. A full-floor unit inside the building starts at $53 million. The penthouse sold for $90 million.
Here's a picture via Melania Trump:
Here's a better look at the broken crane via Anna Holmes:
Here's a picture via Jonathan Wald:
Business Insider reporter Julia La Roche contributed to this report.
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