Mar 18, 2008 2:52 pm US/Eastern
NYC Allows Some Back Into Homes Near Crane Site
Residents of five buildings in the area where a 19-story crane collapsed over the weekend are being allowed back into their homes, and another lane of traffic on a nearby avenue has been reopened, city officials said Tuesday.
The city's Department of Buildings lifted the vacate orders on the buildings at 314, 318, 320, 322 and 324 E. 51st Street, and was expected to reopen two other buildings on that street later Tuesday. None of the buildings were damaged in the collapse.
Six construction workers and a woman in town for St. Patrick's Day were killed Saturday when the crane broke away from an apartment tower under construction and toppled like a tree onto buildings as far as a block away.
Published reports drew attention to nylon straps used to hold material in place, amid concerns that the straps were damaged. Buildings Department Commissioner Patricia Lancaster said, "While this theory and others will be considered as part of our forensic investigation into the cause of the collapse, it has not been confirmed nor is it the primary focus at this time."
A crane accident last year on the construction of a new Goldman Sachs headquarters nearly killed an architect when a nylon sling snapped and dropped seven tons of steel.
In the east side accident, the Buildings Department said a steel collar used to tie the crane to the side of the building fell as it was being installed. That damaged a lower steel collar which supported the crane. With the elimination of that support, the counterweights at the top of the crane's tower caused it to fall.
Pieces of the crane landed from 51st to 50th streets, demolishing a four-story brownstone and damaging several other buildings.
By Tuesday, city officials had reopened two lanes on Second Avenue near the accident scene, with a third lane opened as construction allowed. The Department of Environmental Protection also restored water service on 50th Street.
East 50th and 51st streets between First and Second avenues remain closed.
Workers were still removing pieces of the crane. Once all the necessary parts are recovered, they will be sent for testing and analysis, the city Office of Emergency Management said.
Lancaster has said that when inspectors are finished at the emergency site, they'll begin a safety sweep of about 250 cranes in use around the city on any given day.
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