Rescue teams cordon off high-rise near UN headquarters after structural damage VIDEO

Emergency services in New York City have cordoned off the area around a high-rise building near the United Nations headquarters after structural supports inside the building became deformed, TASS reports.

Nine hours after the first reports of the incident, Second and Third Avenues in the city centre remained closed to both vehicles and pedestrians. Access to the area was blocked by police cars, fire trucks, utility vehicles, and metal barriers.

The situation has drawn the attention of passersby, with dozens of people gathering at an intersection offering a view of the damaged building, while the area remained calm.

The incident occurred on the morning of July 7, when several support beams in the former office building of pharmaceutical company Pfizer — which is being converted into a residential complex — became deformed. The damage caused partial structural collapse and the sagging of five floors of the high-rise.

Residents of neighbouring buildings were evacuated following the incident. The 33-story building is located in central New York City, in close proximity to the headquarters of the United Nations.

By Jeyhun Aghazada