Scaffolding collapse in SoHo sends 5 to the hospital with minor injuries, police say

Scaffolding collapsed in SoHo at the corner of Prince Street and Broadway, injuring five people on Sunday, Nov. 19, 2017, authorities said. Photo Credit: Netflix

Five people were injured in a scaffolding collapse at Broadway and Prince Street in SoHo Sunday morning while a wind advisory was in effect, authorities said.

Scaffolding on an office building at 568 Broadway collapsed just before noon, sending wooden planks and metal sheets onto the sidewalk and roadway, injuring five people, NYPD and FDNY officials said.

The victims were taken to NYC Health + Hospitals/Bellevue with minor injuries, according to police.

FDNY Chief Brian Shovlin said the wind blew the sidewalk shed off onto the street. The Department of Buildings was on the scene to survey the collapse.

The National Weather Service had issued a wind advisory through 6 p.m. Sunday with winds blowing between 15 to 20 mph, and gusts of up to 50 mph.

The FDNY requested a structural stability inspection after the collapse, according to city records.

The building has 40 complaints over the last 11 years in connection with construction, scaffolding and its elevators, records show. It has also been issued 62 DOB violations with eight currently still open, per the department’s website.

Witnesses shared photos and videos of the aftermath on social media, showing the panels sprawled out across the street and firefighters attempting to pull the victims from the debris.

Will Alston, 30, was working at the clothing store Artists & Fleas on Broadway when it happened.

“It was windy but that scaffolding has always been shaking,” he said. “I saw the scaffolding fall and ran outside. There was a lady, she was in pretty bad shape. I went out and helped get poles off her.”