Crane falls on building in NYC, at least two dead

A construction crane fell on a residential building in Manhattan on Saturday, killing at least two people and injuring several others, the New York City Fire Department said.

A Reuters photographer on the scene said the crane had completely crushed a building of several stories and cars on the street were also under rubble. The crane also damaged some neighboring buildings.

A Fire Department spokesman said two people were confirmed dead and a third was in critical condition in hospital. Others were injured and the rescue operation was ongoing.

The building was a small residential building between two other taller buildings on 50th Street in Midtown Manhattan between 1st and 2nd Avenues. The crane appeared to have fallen from a construction site to the north.

Local TV station NY1 broadcast an amateur video taken shortly after the collapse which showed the building completely enveloped in what appeared to be a cloud of brownish dust.  (Reuters)