NEW YORK (AP) -- Two firefighters are hospitalized in stable condition this morning after another accident at a condemned ground zero skyscraper where two other firefighters died in a blaze last weekend.
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Fire officials say a heavy piece of construction equipment fell off a hoist elevator outside the building and plunged 23 stories to the ground yesterday. The pallet jack -- which is used to carry construction equipment -- crashed through a shed and hit firefighters William Corbetis and Neil Nally. They were keeping the area around the building secure.
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The Lower Manhattan Development Corporation says all work has been stopped at the building, which has been in the process of being torn down.
Authorities say the accident involved a worker for John Galt Corporation -- the contractor that was given a termination notice Wednesday, after a series of safety violations. Fire and city officials say the worker lost control of the jack.
John Galt representatives didn't immediately return a telephone message Friday morning.
Demolition work had been suspended after Saturday's blaze, but work had continued to repair scaffolding and remove debris. State officials had warned earlier this week that falling objects such as broken glass were a danger in the immediate area.
One of the injured firefighters, William Corbetis, an 18-year veteran from Engine 258, had surgery to remove his spleen and was hospitalized in serious condition, department spokesman Jim Long said. Firefighter Neil Nally, a five-year veteran from Engine 258, was in stable condition.
The firefighters were keeping the area secure around the building when the equipment fell through the shed just before 2 p.m., Long said.
The accident was the third in four months at the building to hurt or kill city firefighters. In May a 15-foot sprinkler pipe fell off the 35th floor and through the roof of the local firehouse, hurting two firefighters inside. On 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.
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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