Falling Construction Tool Injures at Least Two at Deutsche Bank

Aug. 23, 2007 — -- Two firefighters and at least one construction worker were rushed to a local hospital today after a piece of debris fell on them at the Deutsche Bank building in downtown Manhattan, a New York City Fire Department spokesperson told ABC News.

City officials told ABC News' affiliate WABC-TV that the debris was actually a contruction tool, suspected to be a construction jack.

The injuries suffered by the men are not believed to be life-threatening. One fireman suffered a head contusion and the other has less serious injuries, but both are in stable condition, the Fire Department said.

There was no information available on the medical status of the injured construction worker.

The tool fell while firefighters and construction workers were still removing debris and toxic material from the building, a project that has been ongoing since the the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, the spokesperson said.

The incident comes on the heels of last Saturday's fire in the same building, which killed two New York City firemen.

Firefighters Joe Graffagino, 33, and Robert Beddia, 54, suffered cardiac arrest after running out of air while trying to put out the blaze, WABC reported.

Investigators later found that faulty water pipes, designed specifically to fight fires, were likely the reason the two firemen died.

The contractors responsible for the demolition of the Deutsche Bank building may face charges of criminally negligent homicide as a result of the faulty pipes, according to WABC.

A section of the standpipes was found "not attached and lying on the floor nearby," according to a statement released by New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg's office Monday night.

City officials acknowledged that the fire department had not regularly inspected the building and had no emergency contingency plans, WABC reported.

While the cause of the fire is still unknown, cigarette butts were reportedly found in the building, despite the fact that smoking is prohibited on construction sites.