by Justin Rocket Silverman, amNewYork Staff Writer
Eight people suffered minor injuries yesterday on Sixth Avenue after a debris bucket came loose from a construction crane and plummeted 53 stories from the almost completed Bank of America building, smashing windows and sending a hailstorm of glass onto the street.
Four construction workers and four pedestrians suffered minor cuts, but there were no serious injuries reported.
A stretch of the avenue from 35th to 46th streets was closed for hours after the 1 p.m. accident, as glass was cleared from the asphalt and off the side of the building. The accident occurred at the new Bank of America building construction site, at the northwest corner of 6th Avenue and 42nd Street.
FDNY Deputy Chief John Sudnick said a bucket full of construction debris was being lowered on a crane, which rises to the top of the 54-story crystalline skyscraper. Something snapped or broke and the bucket plummeted to the street below, landing behind the scaffolding of the Bank of America building.
Fire officials could not say how big the debris bucket was.
"We determined it hit parts of the building, and took a lot of glass down with it," Sudnick said.
Hours after the incident, firefighters could be seen inside the building, knocking out panes of glass they found damaged and in danger of shattering. The sound of breaking glass continued long into the afternoon.
The city's Department of Buildings, which is investigating the accident, said the building itself and the large crane along its side were structurally sound.
"I walked by a few minutes after it happened and saw a bunch of people getting taken away in ambulances. I guess when glass is coming down, you better get indoors fast," said Kyle Moody, 24, of Middletown, Connecticut.
With Jamshid Mousavinezhad
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