Stranded window washers hang on the side of One World Trade Center
Stranded window washers hang on the side of One World Trade Center November 12, 2014. New York City fire fighters were trying to rescue at least one window washer on Wednesday thought to be trapped on broken scaffolding that was dangling outside the 69th floor of One World Trade Center, local officials said. REUTERS/Brendan McDermid

Two window washers were trapped on the scaffolding near the 68th floor of the One World Trade Center and an operation team were successful in rescuing them.

The window washers got trapped outside the One World Trade Center. They were dangling at a dangerous angle on the side of the tallest building of the United States. New York City fire-fighters successfully rescued them from the south side of the 104-story building. Officials said that the open-top scaffolding had been dangling at 45 degrees and slightly swaying in the wind. The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey spokesman Joe Pentangelo said that a cable on the scaffolding had apparently broken at around 1 pm (local time), ABC News reported.

A NYPD officer and a Port Authority officer got to the trapped washers in a recue basket. The FDNY broke the window and pulled the workers to safety at around 2:15 pm. One of the trapped workers is on the job for 15 years while the other has been working for around five years. Rescuers were seen dropping cables to workers after a thick glass, around 6 feet tall, were cut open.

Dozens of emergency vehicles gathered in a nearby street where construction workers and office workers streamed onto. A couple of witnesses called the situation "horrific" and hoped that the washers would be rescued. According to initial reports, the washers were apparently done cleaning and were about to get down to the top of the tower when the cable got loose. CBS News reported that the FDNY had communicated with the washers who were believed to be stable condition.

The One World Trade Center was built with U.S. $3.9 billion on the same location where its predecessor used to stand tall last Sept 11, 2001. The building was reopened only in the previous week. Publishing company Conde Nast started working in the building with 175 employees. Around 3,000 more employees are expected to move in by the early part of 2015. Two memorial fountains were built near the new building to remember the 2,700 people who were killed in the infamous 9/11 terror attack.

Contact the writer: s.mukhopadhyay@ibtimes.com.au