CNN - Four die when New York City crane collapses

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Four die when New York City crane collapses

Four people died and at least five were trapped Saturday after a crane collapsed in midtown Manhattan, emergency management officials said.

A portion of the crane damaged a high-rise residential building across the street from the construction site about 2:30 p.m., according to eyewitnesses and New York police. Watch a flyover of the scene

The crane was at least 15 stories tall, and its wreckage destroyed a small brick building, according to The Associated Press.

John PlaGreco, who owns Fu Bar in the crushed building, said he feared that one of his employees was dead in the rubble.

"Our bar is done," he said. "The crane crashed the whole building. If I wasn't watching a Yankees game, I would've come to work early and gotten killed."

A piece of steel fell and sheared off one of the ties holding it to the building, causing the crane to detach and topple, said Stephen Kaplan, an owner of Reliance Construction Group.

"It was an absolute freak accident," Kaplan said. "All the piece of steel had to do was fall slightly left or right, and nothing would have happened."

Kaplan said the company had subcontracted the work and was not in charge of the crane. He wasn't sure whether any workers at the site were among the dead.

Witnesses reported a strong smell of gas to the AP.