Crime & Safety
Midtown Hotel Fire Injures 7 People: FDNY
A fire broke out in an under-construction hotel near Times Square on Monday, filling Midtown blocks with smoke.
MIDTOWN MANHATTAN, NY — Seven people were injured Monday morning in a fire that broke out in an under-construction hotel in Midtown, authorities said.
The blaze was first reported around 10:22 a.m. on the 10th floor of 145 West 47th St.: the site of the future Hotel Riu Manhattan Plaza Times Square, a 48-story tower that is nearing completion.
About 78 firefighters worked to contain the fire, managing to get it under control by 11:18 a.m., FDNY spokesperson said.
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The seven people injured in the fire were all civilians, according to the FDNY. Five were hospitalized with unspecified injuries, while two were treated at the scene.
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Photos showed smoke filling the air in the surrounding blocks of Midtown including as far away as New Jersey. Traffic in the area was predictably backed up, with up to two lanes blocked on Sixth Avenue, WCBS reported.
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