Construction Worker Falls 48 Stories to His Death

A worker fell about 48 stories to his death today at a midtown Manhattan skyscraper being built by the developer of the World Trade Center, authorities said.

The man, who was on a crew dismantling a crane, apparently fell from a walkway between the crane and the glass-walled skyscraper around 9:30 a.m., according to fire officials at the scene. He landed in a construction lot that is surrounded by a fence; his body was being removed by ambulance.

The accident happened at 600 W. 42nd St., where a trade center developer, Larry Silverstein, is building two 60-story apartment buildings. Construction began last fall on the development, called Silver Towers at River Place.

Mr. Silverstein referred questions to the general contractor, Gotham Construction, which didn't immediately return a message seeking comment Thursday.

More than 20 people have died in New York City construction accidents this year, including nine in two crane collapses. A window worker died last week after falling 12 stories from a Manhattan building.

The city's buildings commissioner was replaced and dozens of new construction safety rules created after the spate of accidents. The city has pointed to concrete operations as one of the riskiest construction work in the city, attributed to fatal falls like the January 14 death of a Trump tower worker.