Lower Manhattan

Construction Worker Dies After Lower Manhattan Wall Collapse; 3 Others Hurt

The Department of Buildings says the work site had five safety violations last month, including overloading a floor, and while those issues were fixed, they're investigating if there were ongoing issues

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One person has died and three others were injured following a wall collapse in Lower Manhattan Tuesday, the FDNY said.

According to the FDNY, the back wall of a three-story building under demolition collapsed around 1 p.m. near Lafayette and Canal streets in SoHo. The collapse trapped four workers, who were freed by firefighters using basic tools and their bare hands to make the rescues.

The identity of the construction worker who was killed has not been released.

The Department of Buildings says the work site had five safety violations last month, including overloading a floor. The violations were fixed, buildings officials said, but now the city is looking into whether a similar mistake could have contributed to Tuesday's accident.

"This was a permitted process of the demolition," said Mayor Eric Adams who thanked the firefighters for their response.

Neither the contractor nor the developer listed on the building could immediately be reached for comment.

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