The Permanent Mission of India to the UN, located at 235 East 43rd Street, New York, is among the seven buildings that have been officially evacuated by the city on Tuesday, July 7, 2026, as part of safety measures, according to breaking news reports.
Earlier this morning around 7:57 am, major structural issues were reported at the former Pfizer headquarters building, located right behind the mission at 235 East 42nd Street, which also shares a through-block presence and proximity to 235 East 43rd Street. Emergency officials reported that two steel columns had buckled on the 21st floor, causing floors to sag and bricks to fall into the street.
Out of caution due to a building collapse threat, the FDNY and Mayor Zohran Mamdani had ordered the immediate evacuation of several surrounding properties, explicitly including 235 East 43rd Street, along with a nearby school and other neighboring structures, according to NY1 news.
Most of 42nd Street and 43rd Street between 1st and 3rd Avenues, along with 41st, 44th and 45th Streets, have been completely shut down to both pedestrians and vehicles while Department of Buildings engineers assess the stability of the high-rise tower.
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The Permanent Mission of India to the UN, a 27-story building. Designed by Indian architect Charles Correa, is a red granite-clad tower, built in 1993. Accommodated within its tight footprint to house office, exhibition, and residential spaces, the building’s main tower is shimmering redwood colored metal panels and blue windows. Huge Rajasthani timber doors grace the entrance to the Mission distinguishing the building from the surrounding glass and brushed stainless steel. Inside, late M.F. Husain’s paintings add to the charm. The UN Blue Book and the mission’s official roster list dozens of diplomats, attachés, and local staff members.
No updates were found on the PMI website regarding the evacuation and further plans. Calls to the PMI were not being answered.
Following the emergency response dispatched immediately, Mayor Zohran Mamdani and Commissioner Ahmed Tigani of Department of Buildings, along with Fire Department Chief John Esposito, provided an update at a press conference regarding the structural integrity threat at 235 East 42nd Street, stating the situation was “very serious”.
Mamdani said the FDNY and NYPD had responded to the 37-story building early in the morning following reports of falling bricks. All construction workers inside the building were safely accounted for and evacuated. “There are currently no reported injuries,” he said. He reiterated that the safety of New Yorkers was uppermost in the evacuation decision, and thanked New Yorkers for cooperating with the officials through the evacuations.
The area is very close to the UN, to the underground Midtown Tunnel, and some of the underground railroads, increasing the danger of the impact of a collapse grave. However, Esposito said, in answer to a question, that since the building was a steel building, the damage would be localized as it would not be a total collapse.
The Chrysler building, as it is known in NYC, has two parts – 37 stories on one side and 22 stories on the other side where they were adding 11 more floors. The steel columns buckled in the 37 story part, not in the new construction part, NY1 reported. FDNY team is waiting to be able to go in and stabilize the floor beneath, Esposito said, explaining the plan to make the building safe. However, more shifts in the structure have been noticed since morning, he said.
Mayor Mamdani emphasized again that the city’s top priority is the immediate safety of the neighborhood’s residents and commuters. He urged everyone in the area to strictly follow the instructions of first responders on the ground.
The Department of Buildings (DOB) inspectors and engineers remain on-site to investigate the scope of the structural compromise, specifically looking into continued reports on a compromised steel beam.
In the meantime, discussions are going on about NYCs need to turn large office buildings into residential buildings, specifically in Manhattan, to meet the growing housing needs. DOB Commissioner Tigani said plans for such reconstructions undergo thorough review, as did the plans for the building in question. He said they were reviewed for all levels of requirements for two years.
The corresponding Manhattan neighborhood is a tight space of tall office and residential buildings. There is also the Tudor Hotel in the neighborhood. It is unknown when all the people who live in those buildings and the hotel would be able to return. News channels have been reporting that it can take anywhere from one hour to 8 hours or more. News channels would be providing updates about new developments in the response.