A 37-story Manhattan high-rise that sparked fears of a possible collapse and forced widespread evacuations in one of New York City's busiest neighborhoods was stabilized late Tuesday, allowing officials to lift some evacuation orders.Officials said residents were allowed to return to several of the seven buildings evacuated earlier in the day after inspectors found no additional movement in the damaged structure."We've been monitoring the building for many hours and have not seen any movement," New York City Department of Buildings Commissioner Ahmed Tigani said during a Tuesday evening news conference.The scare began Tuesday morning after workers discovered buckling structural columns inside the former Pfizer headquarters, a 1970s-era office tower being converted into more than 1,600 luxury apartments.MANHATTAN HIGH-RISE EVACUATED AS OFFICIALS WARN OF POTENTIAL COLLAPSEThe unstable building at 235 East 42nd Street is seen Tuesday, July 7, 2026, in New York.(AP Photo/Angelina Katsanis)Firefighters responded around 8 a.m., prompting the evacuation of nearby buildings, including a school, diplomatic offices and hotels in the bustling Midtown corridor near Grand Central Terminal.Mayor Zohran Mamdani called the situation "extremely serious" as engineers conducted floor-by-floor inspections of the building.US UPDATES TRAVEL WARNING FOR QUAKE-HIT NATION, CITING DISASTER RISKS AND VIOLENT CRIMEBy Tuesday evening, contractors had begun shoring up the damaged area after city officials determined the damaged columns were no longer shifting, though repair work is expected to continue and could disrupt the surrounding area.An NYPD officer puts up caution tape near East 41st Street after buildings in the area were evacuated, Tuesday, July 7, 2026, in New York.
(AP Photo/Angelina Katsanis)Fire Chief John Esposito said officials were concerned about the possibility of a localized structural failure rather than the entire steel-framed building collapsing.A visibly bent column on ...