A quiet early morning in Manhattan turned into a nightmare scene when part of a building suddenly came crashing down — leaving a man seriously injured in a freak accident.
Authorities say the victim was sitting outside 832 Broadway in Greenwich Village just before 4 a.m. Saturday when a heavy chunk of decorative stone facade broke loose from the 10-story building and slammed into his hand.
The impact was so severe that the man is believed to have lost at least two fingers — possibly three. He was rushed to Bellevue Hospital with significant injuries but is expected to survive.
Witnesses say the terrifying moment sounded like something straight out of a disaster movie.
“A tenant in the building told me his wife heard it — it woke her up,” said Jeff Ayers, who works next door at a longtime bookstore. “He said it sounded like a bomb went off.”
Others nearby described hearing what felt like an “explosion” before seeing emergency crews rush to the scene. The area was quickly swarmed by first responders as flashing lights filled the street.
Photos from the aftermath show the massive piece of concrete resting near the building’s entrance, while the sidewalk was stained with blood — some of it eerily shaped like fingers. Officials later blocked off the area with caution tape and barriers to prevent further danger.
The building, which is more than a century old, was hit with a safety violation, requiring an engineering inspection after the collapse of the decorative stone.
Public records show the property is owned by Buchbinder & Warren LLC, though no immediate explanation has been given for how the facade suddenly gave way.
As investigators work to determine what caused the shocking incident, one thing is clear — it could have been even worse.
“That was a big piece of cement,” one person at the scene said. “If that fully hits you, you would be dead.”
