NEW YORK, March 16: A towering construction crane has crashed onto a New York residential building, killing at least four people and injuring 10 others, officials said.

The crane crushed a small building and damaged three others on Saturday, sending a massive plume of dust skyward in Manhattan’s Upper East Side in the middle of a sunny afternoon.

“We have four fatalities, we believe all construction workers, plus 10 injured, among whom three critical,” New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg told reporters at the scene of the disaster.

Firefighters with sniffer dogs were scouring the rubble amid reports people were trapped in the wreckage.

“This accident is one of the worst the city has had,” Bloomberg said. “Our thoughts go to the families. I hope we will not find other victims.” Fortunately the bar which is on the first floor of the destroyed building was closed,” he said.

The damaged buildings were completely or partially evacuated and the Red Cross opened a shelter, Bloomberg said.

Manhattan Borough President Scott Stringer told reporters that residents had complained of security violations at the construction site since January.

“We lost four persons, four innocent victims on a sunny afternoon. Enough is enough,” the elected official said.—AFP