Manhattan building evacuated after columns buckle

A high-rise building in Midtown Manhattan was evacuated Tuesday morning after reports of falling bricks and signs of a possible structural failure.

Emergency crews responding to the scene found that two structural columns had buckled on the 21st and 22nd floors of the 38-story tower, which was undergoing a conversion into luxury apartments. Officials also reported sagging on multiple floors between the 21st and 26th levels.

No injuries were reported, and all workers inside the structure were accounted for. Nearby streets were closed to both people and vehicles.

New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani described the situation as "extremely serious", saying the building remains unstable and that additional movement has been observed in one of the compromised columns.

Engineers from the Department of Buildings are on scene using drones to assess the structural integrity. The cause of the failure is under investigation.