Two window cleaners were reportedly trapped after scaffolding collapsed at the top of Hearst Tower in Manhattan, NBC New York is reporting.
The men were rescued after the scaffolding was secured, and a firefighter was able to pull them through the window on the 43rd story.
According to the Fire Department of New York, the cause of the scaffolding collapse was the center motor failing. There were no major injuries, Shimon Prokupecz of WNBC in New York tweeted.
The tower is 46 stories tall, and 20-30mph winds were believed to be causing a problem in the rescue attempt. Parts of 57th and 58th Street and 8th Avenue were reportedly shut down.
This tweeted picture gives you a good sense of the stakes:
#Hearst Tower scaffolding collapse with 2 window washers up there. #NYC#Breakingnewstwitter.com/BElias23/statu…
— Brandon (@BElias23) June 12, 2013
ABC 7 has live footage of the scene. It appears that the scaffold has broken in the center:
Here you can see one man close up:
The FDNY appears to have dropped safety lines down to the workers. They have also reportedly removed a window in a bid to secure the scaffolding.
Hearst Tower has a pretty complex window-washing system. The New Yorker wrote about it recently (the full article is behind a paywall), saying the scaffolding system cost $3 million and has a "computer that monitors 67 electromechanical safety sensors and switches." The project's construction manager said it was "like a ride at Disneyland."
The system is supposed to be checked for safety each morning.
Here's what the building looks like, if you need a refresher:
We will be updating this post as we find out more...
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