Funeral held for victim of NYC crane collapse

The 565-foot long boom from Friday’s crane collapse was broken into pieces and hauled away from Worth Street.

The crane was used to install generators and air conditioning units atop a nearby high-rise and had been inspected by the Department of Buildings on Thursday to approve an extension, officials said.

Firefighters and construction crews work on clearing a collapsed crane, Saturday, Feb. 6, 2016, in NY. “But I don’t want to set the expectations too high”.

Mayor Bill de Blasio announced new, citywide safety measures for cranes on Sunday, following Friday’s deadly collapse in Lower Manhattan. They go into effect Monday. His family says he was a mathematical whiz who worked at a computerized trading firm. He immigrated to the United States as a teenager and graduated from Harvard University with a degree in mathematics.

Office of Emergency Management Commissioner Joseph Esposito said Sunday that Worth Street will remain partially closed for one or two days this week while the city repairs water main damage caused by the collapse.

“While the city needs to continue to grow, it must do so in a way in which the safety of workers and the public is paramount”, said John Banks, president of the Real Estate Board of NY, in a statement.

The plan includes placing new restrictions on crawler cranes during windy conditions, doubling fines for equipment operators who don’t follow safeguards, increasing attention to pedestrian safety near crane sites, and better notifying buildings located near cranes, according to the Associated Press.

The crane’s operator tested negative for drugs or alcohol and was cooperating with investigators.

The NYPD, FDNY, DOB and Department of Transportation will also increase enforcement of sidewalk and street closures when any crane activity occurs. Three other people were hurt by debris.

Officials said it was unclear whether high winds played a role in the accident during Friday’s morning rush, when the moderate snowstorm was moving across the city.

At the scene, remnants of the broken crane, which had been capable of carrying 330 tons, had been removed by Sunday afternoon.