A Midtown Manhattan high-rise office building near Grand Central Terminal was evacuated on Tuesday morning after authorities warned it was at risk of collapsing. The incident matters because the potential failure of a large office building in one of New York City's busiest districts posed a serious safety threat to occupants and passers-by.

The New York Fire Department said it received a call at around 8am reporting falling bricks in the 200 block of East 42nd Street, according to The New York Times. The building had previously housed offices for the pharmaceutical company Pfizer. The situation was described as a developing story with further updates expected.