VIDEO: Crane dramatically collapses in NYC, injuring 12 

A crane dramatically collapsed from a tower roof onto the streets of New York City on Wednesday, leaving at least twelve individuals with injuries, according to the Fire Department of New York. 

Firefighters responded to a call reporting a five-alarm fire that broke out on a crane at a construction site on 10th Avenue and 41st Street at around 7:30 a.m. The crane operator noticed the fire in the crane’s engine but was unable to extinguish it due to the overwhelming amount of flames.

Soon after, however, the crane partially collapsed from about 45 stories high, slamming into the building across the street before falling onto the floor, city officials said. More than 200 fire and EMS personnel responded to the scene. 

Crane completely collapses in New York City 👀🤯 pic.twitter.com/mm6Ijb8N6Y

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"As our fire units responded to the scene, we had a collapse," said  FDNY First Deputy Fire Commissioner Joseph W. Pfeifer at a news conference. "The top part of the crane, the boom, and a 16-ton [concrete] load crashed to the ground."

Nine civilians, including construction workers and passersby, and three firefighters suffered from non-life-threatening injuries from the collapse. They were all transported to local hospitals, Pfeifer said. 

"Thank God that the injuries… were minor," New York City Mayor Eric Adams said. "As you can see from the debris on the street, this could have been much worse."

A preliminary investigation suggests that the fire was likely caused by a leak of hydraulic fluid. According to officials, the fire weakened the crane’s cabling “to a point where it lost its strength, and that’s where the collapse occurred.” The investigation is still ongoing.

The New York City Department of Buildings (DOB) examined the impacted building and determined that it was “structurally stable.”

“DOB inspectors and engineers will remain at the site to oversee the situation while plans are developed for the safe removal of the collapsed crane, while also working to determine why this incident occurred in the first place,” the department said.