Update: 67th Street Building Accidental Death
The New York Daily News reports:
The site has 38 open Buildings Department violations, 25 since construction began in April 2007, records show. They include such high-severity problems as failure to safeguard the public and property, lack of a site safety manager, no safety nets and lack of fire-safety standpipes, records show.
A site inspection - triggered by the March 15 crane collapse at East 51st St. that killed seven people - found there was no plumb and torque inspection report to ensure the crane there had been properly installed.
The condo, the Laurel, is next to Public School 168 on 67th St. between First and York Aves. Children were playing in the schoolyard when Kelly fell.
The tragedy comes amid a 12% jump in high-rise development and an 83% spike in construction accidents.
“You had a site known to be dangerous,” said Councilwoman Jessica Lappin, whose district includes the site of yesterday’s tragedy and the E. 51st St. disaster. “How do you allow business to carry on as usual?”
The city and the feds are investigating the accident.
The New York Times suggests the grave nature of this accidental tragedy and the wide scope of the legal ramifications:
“We will be holding the individuals responsible for this terrible tragedy accountable,” Ms. Lancaster said during a visit to the site. “Construction companies, owners, architects and engineers have to obey the law.”
Construction in New York has been proceeding rapidly recently, and there has been a string of fatal accidents. Ten people have been killed in high-rise construction accidents since January, including seven who died on March 8 when a 200-foot crane collapsed at another East Side condominium project, demolishing a four-story town house on East 50th Street.
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For more info on the accident click here.