Falling glass from Manhattan building injures 3
NEW YORK -- Falling glass from a building injured 3 people in Midtown Manhattan Thursday morning.
The glass fell from the 18th floor of a high-rise building at 40 West 57th Street.
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Authorities say about a third of a window, which weighs several hundred pounds, came crashing down after workers inside accidentally hit the window with their equipment.
"I guess if you hit it just right, this is what happens, but they're pretty thick and they're pretty substantial," FDNY Battalion Chief Tom Marra.
Witnesses say pedestrians tried to seek cover when the glass started raining down on them.
"Like people covering themselves. It came down in chunks. It happened at 8:30, then another chunk came down at 8:45," witness Mike Galvin said.
Firefighters had to meticulously retrieve the rest of the broken glass before any more of it fell.
Glen Kelly works in an office on the 18th floor, but only learned of the accident after he came outside.
"The whole office was stripped, re-doing the whole thing," Kelly said.
Authorities say one pedestrian sustained a laceration to the head, but described it as a non-life threatening injury. No further details were given on the injuries suffered by the other two people except that they are also not life threatening.
Police closed down West 57th Street to vehicular and pedestrian traffic between Fifth and Sixth avenues during the investigation.
