A 45-year-old construction worker was killed at a Manhattan job site on Friday morning when the mobile elevating work platform (MEWP) he was operating struck a steel beam. The incident occurred around 9:15 a.m. on East 35th Street near Park Avenue in Murray Hill. As the worker elevated the platform, he struck his head on the beam, resulting in fatal injuries at the scene.

The worker was identified as Jose Ramirez by his brother. Another worker, a 35-year-old man in the same cherry picker, sustained minor injuries and was transported to Bellevue Hospital, where he was reported in stable condition.

According to the Department of Buildings (DOB), both workers were standing in the lift, approximately 32 feet above the ground when the platform hit the steel beam. The workers were part of a demolition crew working on a one-story building owned by the Community Church of New York in Murray Hill. The building is one of five properties being torn down as part of a redevelopment project.

The Continuum Company, which recently purchased the property for $66 million, plans to replace the demolished buildings with a luxury 18-story condo development. While Continuum officials were present at the scene, they did not immediately comment on the incident.

The DOB dispatched engineers and safety inspectors to the site to investigate the incident thoroughly. "Unsafe conditions on work sites and putting workers at risk is unacceptable," the DOB stated. "Following our investigation, we will take appropriate enforcement actions against the responsible parties."

Earlier, on October 30, the DOB issued 10 violations to Continuum and its contractors, partly because the special inspector hired to oversee tasks was not registered with the DOB. In November, two complaints were filed regarding shaking buildings during demolition work, but no violations were issued as no unsafe conditions were observed at the time.