At least 10 people were injured when a construction crane dropped a massive heating and air-conditioning unit nearly 30 stories at a Midtown building Sunday, officials and witnesses said.  Workers were attempting to lift the unit into one of the Madison Avenue office building’s control rooms when the rigging strap holding it broke, sending it plummeting to the street around 10:45 a.m., said a source familiar with the investigation.  The metal rectangular unit struck the side of the building multiple times as it fell, sending glass and building debris raining down. The unit landed in the middle of Madison Avenue between 38th and 39th streets.  “It sounded like a freight train,” said Milo Avidane, who watched from his apartment across the street as a cloud of smoke rose from the accident site.  “They were rigging the HVAC unit through a hole on the top floor, and and it never made it into the building,” Avidane said. “It landed smack in the middle of Madison — right in front of the restaurant on the bottom floor.”  Zuma, the popular Japanese eatery there, was closed at the time.  Elephants beat the heat, Don Imus says goodbye and more.  A baby tamarin debuts, the Air Force Academy cadets graduate and more.  Butterflies leave us aflutter, President Barack Obama takes flight and more.  A porcupine plays, a volcano erupts in Ecuador, torrential rain floods Austin, Texas, and more.  Americans reflect on Memorial Day and more.  Boston prepares for Memorial Day, California cleans up after an oil spill and more.  From peaceful and calm to roaring and rolling, see beautiful and breathtaking views of the Pacific.  Storms strike Texas, a lamb is rescued from a brothel and more.  Lt. Col. John Klatt gives the Post a view New York City from above.  Koalas remain the cutest, President Barack Obama strikes a pose with a U.S. Coast Guard Academy graduate and more.  The Northern Lights light up Canada on the coldest night of the year.  Lift your mood with these magical, gravity-defying photos.  A baby gorilla debuts in Sydney, a volcano heats up Chile and more.  Taylor Swift, Jennifer Lopez and more rock the red carpet at the 2015 Billboard Music Awards.  A newborn lemur kicks off the weekend with cute and more.  Another witness said, “The load on the crane started swinging like it was unstable, and then it crashed into the building,” adding that he could hear construction workers yelling right before the unit fell.  The block had been previously cordoned off for the work.  “Thank goodness this occurs at this hour, on a weekend, when there were not many people around” Mayor de Blasio said at a press conference.  “Obviously, this is a very serious incident. There will be a full investigation,” he said.  Five motorists and two construction workers were treated at Bellevue Hospital and NYU Medical Center for minor injuries, officials said.  Three others who were hurt refused medical attention.  First responders evacuated Madison Avenue from 37th to 39th streets out of fear that the the building’s facade could collapse. They also closed several other nearby streets to cars and pedestrians to help with the cleanup.  Traffic is being detoured between Madison and Park avenues and 34th and 40th Streets.  Skylift Contractor Corp. received a permit earlier this month to operate the machinery — owned by a company called Bay Cranes — at the site, according to DOB records.  This isn’t the first mishap involving the two companies. In 2010, Skylift operator Christopher Cosban had his license suspended after he failed to secure a Bay crane that collapsed at a Lower Manhattan construction site in the middle of the night. No one was injured in that incident.
A construction crane crashed into a building near the corner of East 38th Street and Madison Avenue on Sunday morning.