Men rescued from skyscraper

TWO maintenance workers left dangling from a collapsed scaffold near the top of a New York City skyscraper have been rescued.

The men were stuck on Wednesday afternoon at the 180m Hearst building in midtown Manhattan.

Fire department officials said workers cut open windows on the 44th floor and pulled the men inside to safety.

The maintenance workers and a firefighter moved slowly from the scaffolding to the opening.

The metal scaffold appeared to have buckled in the middle, into an elongated V shape.

The men were on each side, communicating with firefighters on the roof of the 46-storey building for about an hour and a half before they were rescued.

The Hearst Tower is the world headquarters of the Hearst Corp.

Left dangling: Curious onlookers try to record the scene near the top of the 46-storey Hearst skyscraper as two window washers whose scaffolding collapsed are rescued in New York.