'We were horrified': Witnesses describe Manhattan crane collapse, fire that injured 6

MIDTOWN, Manhattan (PIX11) — Several witnesses detailed the harrowing scene in Manhattan after a crane caught fire and collapsed, injuring six people, Wednesday morning.

The five-alarm blaze broke out in a vacant building at 550 10th Ave. between 40th and 41st streets in Hell’s Kitchen at around 7:30 a.m., according to the FDNY.

A crane operator was working on the building on the 45th floor when the engine caught fire, FDNY officials said. The crane operator tried to put out the flames but was unsuccessful.

Four people and two firefighters suffered minor injuries. One of the firefighters was taken to the hospital with chest pain, authorities said.

Two tourists from India staying at a nearby hotel spoke with PIX11 News about what they saw.

"Around 7:30 - 7:40, I heard a big thud as if something was from a big height," one of the tourists said. "And I look out of my window and I see a fire up there on the platform."

He explained that he was packing his bags inside his hotel room at the time of the fire. FDNY officials urged him, along with other hotel guests, to stay in their rooms and move away from the windows.

"The fire was a full blaze by the time I saw outside," he said.

Another tourist described her fear of seeing the massive flames right outside her hotel window.

"We were horrified, I had seen this fire, you know big flames coming out and the cracks into the window," she told PIX11 News.

However, both of their qualms were dispelled by the timely evacuation efforts led by FDNY officials and other first responders at the scene.

“It’s amazing -- fire department, police department, first responders, they all made us all safe,” one of the tourists said.