Debris-Filled Container Falls From Bank Tower; 8 Injured
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A large container filled with construction debris fell from atop the Bank of America tower yesterday, breaking windows and causing shrapnel to rain down onto Sixth Avenue during the Midtown lunch break.
The container, which is used to transport tools and rubbish to and from the upper levels of the tower via a crane, plummeted from the 53rd floor of the building at 1111 Sixth Ave. at about 1 p.m., fire officials said. Four construction workers and four passersby sustained minor injuries, the officials said. Still under construction, the tower has been hailed as a resounding financial success in the real estate community. Its developer, the Durst Organization, has been able to command some of the highest rents in the city, well over $100 a square foot.
As the container fell, it crashed into the 45th floor of the building before striking it several more times and breaking eight windows, Richard Kielar, a spokesman for the construction company responsible for the project, Tishman Construction Corporation, said.
“I was about to cross the street when I saw thousands of pieces of glass falling from the sky,” consultant Charles Fiesel said. “Glass was bouncing in front of me and off of me.”
Mr. Fiesel, 42, who said he was keeping a piece of shattered glass as a souvenir, said that before taking cover, he pulled a young woman to safety.
“She seemed kind of frozen,” he said. ” I grabbed her and pulled her under the scaffolding.”
The accident brought traffic to a halt in Midtown, as officials shut down stretches of both Sixth Avenue and 42nd Street.
It is not clear what caused the container to fall, Mr. Kielar said. Inspectors and engineers from the city’s Department of Buildings are investigating the accident.
“It’s really premature to find out now,” Mr. Kielar said.
Several large metal struts, which keep the crane stable, were feared seriously damaged in the accident. But after an investigation, the Department of Buildings determined that they were structurally sound and not in danger of collapse.
In February, WCBS Channel 2 reported that it caught some construction workers at the site on camera drinking alcohol during their lunch break.
Mr. Kielar said drinking is prohibited for employees working on the tower and that the employees identified in the news report were removed from the project.
