Crane collapses in Manhattan's Upper East Side

Crane collapses in Manhattan's Upper East Side
WNBC reports that two people were killed, crane operator injured
BREAKING NEWS
MSNBC staff and news service reports
updated 4 minutes ago
NEW YORK - A construction crane collapsed Friday on New York's Upper East Side, smashing into a high-rise apartment building before crashing more than a dozen stories onto the street below.

The Fire Department said it has pulled people out of the wreckage at East 91st Street and First Avenue. Their conditions were not immediately known.

NBC's New York affiliate WNBC reports that two people were killed and that the crane's operator was injured.

The top floor of a nearby high-rise apartment building was damaged. Firefighters and rescue workers were continuing to search through the wreckage.

The accident happened 2 1/2 months after a crane collapsed, killing seven people about two miles south.

In that March 15 accident, contractors building a 46-story condominium near the United Nations were trying to lengthen the crane when a steel support broke. The crane demolished a four-story town house and damaged several other buildings.

A city inspector resigned after his arrest on charges of falsifying business records and offering a false instrument for filing.

In April, the city's buildings commissioner resigned, under fire over a rising number of deadly construction accidents.

Check back for updates on this breaking news story, and check out WNBC for live streaming video of the rescue effort.