At least four people are dead and 10 are injured after a 15-story tall crane came crashing down on the city?s East Side.

The owner of the crane is Reliance Construction Group, a Parsippany-based company. Owner Stephen Kaplan is calling what happened a freak accident.

The accident occurred just after 2 p.m. Saturday afternoon. The crane plummeted at least 20 stories, demolishing one building and damaging another three. The four people who were killed are all believed to be construction workers.

Firefighters spent the afternoon removing the dead and searching for living. N.Y.?s Mayor Bloomberg called the accident one of the worst construction accidents in city history.

Kapling says workers were raising the crane when a falling piece of steel sheared one of the ties holding it to the building. The company says a sub-contractor had been hired to operate the crane.

The crane was part of a construction project to build a 46-story $110 million high rise condo.

Shelters have been set up nearby for people forced out of their homes.