An Upper East Side high-rise building facade crumbled Monday night, sending bricks raining down onto the sidewalk and streets below, officials say.
No injuries were immediately reported after the bricks fell from the top of the 35-story building at 340 East 64th St. at about 10 p.m.
First Avenue was shut down between 60th and 65th streets as investigators responded.
Authorities said there was some sort of repointing accident that sent the bricks tumbling, leaving pieces of concrete scattered all over the intersection below.
Witnesses were shaken when they heard the sudden cascade of falling bricks.
"All of sudden it sounded like there was an incredible hailstorm," said Mark Kostabi. "I saw huge chunks of what I thought was hail, but then that didn't make sense. And huge noises."
Veronica Alcarese said, "The first brick hit the ground, all of a sudden there was some dust and smoke. It sounded like fireworks or gunshots, and the next thing I know, I saw four people running in all different directions."
Local
NYPD, FDNY and the Buildings Department were at the scene.
There were no recent complaints on the facade for the listed address in the city's Buildings Department database.
