New York City

Windows of Manhattan Hotel Suddenly Shatter, Sending Glass Flying 20-Plus Stories to Street

A spokesman for the hotel said it wasn't clear if the accident was weather-related, but gusts topped 60 mph in some parts of the tri-state Monday

What to Know

  • Most of the tri-state, including New York City, is under a wind advisory Monday
  • The National Weather Services warns of wind from 20 mph to 30 mph with gusts up to 60 mph
  • By early morning, the wind had already been blamed for a transformer fire and train suspensions

Double-pane-glass windows on the 23rd and 14th floors of a Manhattan hotel somehow shattered late Monday morning, sending glass flying to the ground, though no one was hurt, city officials and hotel representatives said. 

Authorities were called to the Millenium Hilton on Church Street around 10:30 a.m. for reports of falling glass. 

According to hotel spokesman Chris Hill, only the exterior pane of the 23rd-floor window broke. The room was vacant at the time. Photos from inside showed a gaping hole in the window pane. 

City officials said a 14th-floor window directly below the 23rd-floor one that broke also shattered. While the cause of the shattered glass remains unclear, crews were planning to cut out the remaining pieces amid concern 60-mph wind gusts could send the rest tumbling to the street. 

The Department of Buildings responded to the scene.

The sidewalk below was roped off and the nearby street was shut down as a precaution. 

"The well-being, safety and security of our guests are of paramount importance and we continue to make every effort to ensure that all practices and standards are in line with strict safety and security regulations," Hill said in a statement. "The hotel is currently cooperating fully with the local authorities in their investigation."

It was the second time in little more than a month shattered glass fell from the lower Manhattan building. In early January, the Department of Buildings said a piece of metal flew off a nearby building and broke a 27th-floor window of the hotel. No one was hurt in that accident either.  

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