Manhattan building sparks evacuations after two structural columns buckle

Officials also find multiple cracks and sagging floors in building that is being converted into apartments A high-rise building in Manhattan was deemed unstable on Tuesday after authorities determined that support columns buckled, spurring evacuation of nearby buildings, according to officials and reports. Officials said they also found “structural issues” on the 21st floor of the former Pfizer pharmaceutical building, which is being converted into residential apartments. “Two structural columns buckled, and there were multiple cracks and sagging floors,” the New York fire department said on X. Workers were expected to begin stabilizing the building on Tuesday evening. According to New York mayor Zohran Mamdani’s office, a team went through each floor and did not detect any additional movement of the support columns, allowing the on-site contractors to begin the emergency repair work. The temporary measures are meant to stabilize the building and are expected to stretch into the coming days, impacting a busy corridor of Midtown near the famed Grand Central Terminal, which is a hub for metro area commuters and residents as well as tourists. Officials said they received reports of a