Worker killed in Midtown Manhattan building collapse identified

MIDTOWN (WABC) -- The worker killed when the interior of a midtown Manhattan building caved in during a demolition project Friday morning has been identified as authorities probe what caused the collapse.

Pedro Bacilio, 26, died after part of a five-story town house crumbled, police said. Another worker was trapped in the rubble for three hours before emergency crews could dig him out, using special tools, authorities said.

A large section of ceiling collapsed inside the building on West 38th Street between Fifth and Sixth avenues at around 10:30 a.m. It appears the ceiling was in the rear of the building and fell through several floors.

Workers at the site had been taking down two adjacent buildings.

The injured worker was trapped under debris before rescue teams pulled his body out. On Saturday, he was in serious condition.

As many as 19 construction workers were in the building at the time of the collapse, but all are accounted for.

Here's a photo of the injured worker being taken away:

Dogs were used to search the site to make sure there are no other workers trapped in the debris.

The collapse is inside an eight-story building undergoing a gut demolition. A stop-work order has been issued at the site.

Here is video of the scene, courtesy of JayEng@CooperElectricSupply:

And here's a look at the scene from Ray Hennessey / Twitter: @Hennesseyedit:

The building, under demolition since 2012, is the future site of the Aloft New York Midtown Hotel, a 27-story hotel. It was purchased for $12 million.

Fortuna's owners have referred inquiries to demolition firm Northeast Service Interiors. Its lawyer, Joseph DiBenedetto, said the work was being done to code.

"This is an unexplainable accident," he said in an email Saturday. "We are mourning the loss of a dedicated employee that we considered family. Our thoughts and prayers are with his family during this difficult time."

City Buildings Commissioner Rick Chandler called the collapse a reminder of "the risks of construction work, particularly in the demolition of buildings."

The Associated Press contributed to this story.