Key support beams inside a Midtown skyscraper that began buckling Tuesday were “bending like cigarettes,” causing some floors to give way under intense pressure, a construction worker said.
Cliff Johnsen, a member of Steamfitters Local 638 whose team was installing the fire-protection system at the 38-story building under construction at 235 E. 42nd St., was among several workers who rushed out after seeing two steel support beams warp on the 21st and 22nd floors.
“The I-beams are bending like cigarettes in there, which is super dangerous,” Johnsen told reporters outside the compromised tower.
Johnsen said the property was being renovated to add 16 additional stories as it was converted from commercial use to residential space, and he alleged that developers had not installed enough steel reinforcement to handle the extra load.
“At that point, you need to add more steel — and they obviously didn’t add the right amount of steel,” Johnsen said.
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“So the north side of that building is crumbling.”
Emergency crews evacuated the unstable Manhattan building at about 8 a.m. after workers found the distorted beams buckling, with the 21st and 26th floors sagging under the strain.
No injuries were reported.
Police and fire officials shut down pedestrian and vehicle traffic along East 42nd Street between Second and Third avenues as they investigate the scene.
Several nearby buildings, including a hotel and school with more than 400 kids, were also evacuated as a precaution, officials said.
“What they have found thus far is that there are structural issues with the building,” Mayor Zohran Mamdani told reporters during a press conference.
“I would say beyond that, just for those in the immediate area to follow the instructions of those on the ground, we have seen evacuations not only of the building but also surrounding buildings, as well as a nearby school. And I believe those actions are appropriate at this time.”
