By Amy Westfeldt
The Associated Press
NEW YORK — While the fire department was still mourning two members killed in a blaze at a condemned ground zero skyscraper, two more firefighters were hurt by a heavy piece of construction equipment that plummeted off the same plagued building.
It was the third time in four months that firefighters were injured in incidents related to the former Deutsche Bank tower. Workers have been tearing down the building, which was badly damaged and contaminated with toxic debris in the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks.
All work was stopped after Thursday’s accident, said the Lower Manhattan Development Corp., the state and city-created entity that owns the tower. Demolition was suspended after Saturday’s deadly fire, but work was continuing to repair scaffolding and remove debris.
State officials warned earlier this week that falling objects, such as broken glass, were a danger in the immediate area. On Thursday afternoon,a pallet jack used to carry construction equipment fell off a hoist elevator outside the building and plunged 23 stories to the ground, fire and state officials said.
The pallet jack crashed through a shed and hit the two firefighters, who were keeping the area around the building secure.
Firefighters William Corbetis and Neil Nally were in stable condition early Friday at St. Vincent’s Hospital, hospital spokeswoman Maura Duffy said.
Corbetis, 50, who had surgery to remove his spleen, has been with the FDNY for 18 years, and Nally, 35, for five years, the department said.
In the latest accident, a worker for John Galt Corp. — which had been given a termination notice on Wednesday — lost control of the jack, fire and city officials said.
John Galt representatives did not immediately return a telephone message left at the company’s Bronx office early Friday.
In May, a 15-foot sprinkler pipe fell off the building’s 35th floor and through the roof of the local firehouse, hurting two firefighters inside.
Last Saturday, firefighters Robert Beddia and Joseph Graffagnino died and more than 40 others were hurt battling a blaze that started on the building’s 17th floor.
Graffagnino’s funeral was held Thursday morning at St. Ephrem’s Church in Brooklyn. A service for Beddia was scheduled for Friday morning at St. Patrick’s Cathedral in Manhattan.
It wasn’t clear exactly what kind of pallet jack fell from the building. Most pallet jacks have two forks, resembling those on forklifts, and weigh about 300 pounds.
Community leaders expressed concern at a meeting earlier this week about falling debris near their homes.
“We asked that there be very tight precautions in place to ensure that no one is injured,” said Julie Menin, chairwoman of downtown’s Community Board One. “It’s truly shocking that we’re seeing yet another incident.”
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Associated Press writer Sara Kugler contributed to this report.