The 54-story building housing Nasdaq's new headquarters partially collapsed Wednesday, sending up a fresh plume of smoke over an already shrouded Manhattan, CNN said.
Nasdaq had moved into One Liberty Plaza, a 2-million-square-foot building, in recent months.
The building is across the street from the obliterated twin towers of the World Trade Center that were struck by two hijacked airliners Tuesday.
CNN crews near the scene said pieces of the building's exterior began to chip and fall, prompting police and National Guard troops to quickly withdraw from the area, pushing reporters and onlookers further north. Rescue crews combing through the rubble of the World Trade Center were also evacuated.
Officials at St. Vincent's Hospital said they have been told to expect victims from the latest collapse.
The shroud of smoke covering Manhattan carried an odor that could be smelled more than four miles away to the north.
Nasdaq spokesman Scott Peterson said One Liberty Plaza was evacuated after the attacks on the World Trade Center.
He said only 10 percent of Nasdaq's work force worked in the building -- a total of 127 employees spread out over three floors. He said it would have "no effect on technical facilities" that operate the exchange.
"This is obviously not a good thing. But in terms of the operation of the Nasdaq stock market, the fact that the Liberty Plaza headquarters has gone down should have negligible effect," Peterson said.
Peterson said he was in the building, along with other employees, when the airliners smashed into the World Trade Center. "Many of us saw the attacks taking place out our windows," he said. "I personally witnessed the first American Airlines jet come and hit the World Trade Center."
A nine-story building, 5 World Trade Center, is also in danger of collapsing, as well as the Millennium Hilton hotel, fire officials said.
Another adjacent building, 7 World Trade Center, collapsed hours after Tuesday's attacks. Among the tenants of that building was the US General Accounting Office, located on the 25th floor.
Damage also is spread far beyond the immediate area of the World Trade Center. CNN National Correspondent Gary Tuchman said heavy damage extends at least 10 blocks in each direction, where there are "hundreds of other businesses that have been heavily destroyed, moderately destroyed or slightly destroyed."
"About a half a mile, from north to south, there is heavy debris in the streets. There are cars tipped over. Trucks tipped over, just lining the streets," Tuchman said – Albawaba.com
© 2001 Al Bawaba (www.albawaba.com)
