New York

Scaffolding Collapses in SoHo, Injuring 5 People: FDNY

Scaffolding collapsed in SoHo amid high winds Sunday, scattering debris across the street and injuring five people.

The scaffolding collapsed at Broadway and Prince Street, in the heart of SoHo. 

Video and photos showed large metal bars and pieces of wood scattered across the street as bystanders watched or ran to help. One video shows people frantically removing debris from a pile. 

At least one person was seen being taken away on a stretcher. Police said everyone who was hurt suffered minor, non-life-threatening injuries. 

A wind advisory was in effect for all of New York City and much of the tri-state most of the day Sunday. 

City Council Member Ben Kallos said the city should do a better job of making sure scaffolding is taken down in a timely matter. 

"Although it is still unclear what exactly caused today’s dangerous incident, we do know that if the structure were not there it would not have collapsed and injured pedestrians," he said in a statement.

A Department of Buildings investigation into the incident is ongoing. 

The contract company hired by the owners of 568 Broadway had cleared the site by Sunday night and were replacing the damaged section of sidewalk shed. The DOB issued a violation to the building owner for a failure to maintain the property. 

High winds toppled trees across the tri-state, including in the Bronx and Teaneck, New Jersey. And in Tribeca, a large scaffold on a building swung violently. 

Contact Us