Winds may have been a factor when debris from a construction site plunged onto an adjacent building and damaged the roof and several apartments inside on the Upper East Side Wednesday, officials say.
About 60 firefighters responded to the site on 63rd Street near Third Avenue at about 8:30 p.m., the FDNY said. There was damage to at least three apartments at 200 East 63rd St. when debris fell onto the roof. Tenants inside those apartments were offered relocation assistance by the Red Cross.
A witness said the debris created a hole through the ceiling of sixth floor and landed on the floor of an apartment on the fifth floor. A tenant was hurt with minor injuries.
Neighbors outside said the heard the impact.
"We heard a loud bang, and heard people yelling in the hallway, and fire alarms and commotion," he said. "We had no idea, and you assume the worst and leave the building."
Then "we saw a hole in the sixth floor."
Officials from the Department of Buildings said the apartment building is structurally stable and not in danger of collapsing. The building owner has hired contractors to properly board up the damaged apartments and clean up the debris.
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According to the buildings department, Hudson Meridian Construct is the general contractor for the tower project. On Thursday, the buildings department issued them a violation for failure to safeguard the site, which carries a $25,000 fine.
Hudson Miridian did not immediately respond to NBC 4's request for comment.
The DOB had issued a wind advisory earlier in the day, reminding all builders, contractors, crane operators and property owners to secure their construction sites, building and equipment because of heavy winds.
The DOB has since issued a full stop-work order for the 30-story tower project at 1059 Third Avenue as engineers investigate the cause of the collapse, including the possible wind component.
Additional safety and enforcement measures may be taken once the investigation is complete, the buiding department says.
