A crane partially collapsed in Borough Park and smashed through the roof of an apartment building on Thursday afternoon.
Workers were using a boom truck to lift steel beams over a three-story building at 1442 44th St. when part of the boom broke off at around 2:30 p.m., according to the city’s Department of Buildings, and landed on the roof. The beam landed in the backyard of a neighboring home.
Firefighters, cops, and paramedics swarmed the scene, but all construction workers and residents were accounted for after the crash, and no one was injured. By Thursday evening, workers had pulled back the still-intact portion of the boom and moved the truck away from the building, and a crane was being brought in to remove the broken portion from the roof.
DOB inspectors were on scene after the incident, and are still investigating the cause of the break. A department representative said enforcement actions are “pending the results of that investigation.”
The boom truck, still parked on the street, appeared to belong to Fort Greene-based rigging company Heavy Duty Lifting. Brooklyn Paper was not immediately able to reach the company for comment.
According to city records, the owners of 1442 44th St. filed plans to convert six units into four in 2015. The DOB approved application in 2018 and has since issued a number of permits for plumbing and electrical work, though all have since expired. No active construction permits were listed on the department’s website, and the building has racked up a number of citations for work without a proper permit, or work deviating from what had been approved.
Records also show that the building has not been validly registered with the city’s Department of Housing Preservation and Development since 2015.
This is a breaking news story, check back for additional updates. Last updated 8/2/2024, 9:58 a.m.
