One person is dead, others injured and many people are trapped after the floor of a parking garage collapsed on to another, leaving cars piled up in New York City on Tuesday afternoon.
The incident occurred at 57 Ann Street between Nassau Street and William Street in lower Manhattan at 4:15pm on April 18.
The second floor of the four-story structure collapsed onto the first, according to the FDNY.
Mayor Eric Adams, speaking at the news conference, said that four of those hurt in the cave-in had been hospitalized. He did not specify the nature of their injuries.
A fifth person declined medical attention, Mr. Adams said.
Officials did not immediately identify the person who was killed in the collapse.
Video from the scene showed multiple cars stacked on top of one another amid crumbled concrete.
The exterior of the structure is still standing, but the front of the building facade has buckled and is in danger of collapse.
Video from the initial aftermath of the collapse showed a woman screaming: ‘Get out!’ People were also trapped in the elevator shaft which caved in.
There are initial reports of three injuries, two minor, one serious but not life-threatening, reports NBC New York.
Residential apartments and businesses on the street have been told to evacuate until further notice.
New York City Council member Christopher Marte tweeted that there are ‘a few people stuck in an elevator in the building’.
So far, firefighters have been unable to enter the building because it could collapse further. Officials said they were deploying rescuers using tower ladders to look for victims, as well as a team with drones and a robotic dog.
Cicero Clamor, 39, an art director who works on the ninth floor of a building on William Street directly next to the garage, said he had heard a rumbling and had run to the window with some colleagues.
At first, he said, he thought what he had heard was an earthquake until he saw ‘cars collapsing on top of each other.’
‘We gathered our belongings and got out of there,’ Mr. Clamor said.
