Two New York City apartment buildings collapsed in an explosion apparently caused by a gas leak, killing three, injuring at least 36 people and setting off a search for more victims feared trapped in the rubble.
As of now, the number of people injured is unclear as different news portals have reported various figures.
The blast scattered debris across nearby rooftops and brought down the adjacent five-story buildings, with a total of 15 apartments, at about 9:30 a.m. on a largely residential Upper Manhattan block at East 116th Street and Park Avenue.
“We have a lot of people in this community deeply concerned… There’s a tremendous level of anxiety,” New York City Major Bill de Blasio’s office said in a Wednesday afternoon press conference.
Officials declined to give a number of those who are still missing. They said the blast occurred 15 minutes after a resident in an adjacent building called Con Edison to complain of a gas odour.
Edward Foppiano, Con Ed’s vice president for gas operations, said while the utility could not confirm what caused the explosion, it was treating the incident as a gas leak issue. The utility most recently responded to customer complaint about a gas odour in the area in May, but the issue had been resolved, Foppiano said.
The National Transportation Safety Board said it was investigating the “gas explosion and subsequent fire.”
Hundreds of fire-fighters scoured the mounds of debris for survivors and trapped bodies. Two women were confirmed dead early in the day, and the body of a third woman was found in the rubble later during the day, police said.
One of the victims was identified as Griselde Camacho, a campus public safety officer for Hunter College in East Harlem, according to a message posted on the school’s website.
‘THE WHOLE BUILDING SHOOK.’
“This is a tragedy because there was no time to warn people ahead of time,” de Blasio said. “We are expending every effort to locate each and every loved one.”
Most of those injured suffered broken bones, cuts and smoke inhalation, authorities said.
At least three children were among the injured. Two of them were treated for minor injuries and released, while a third was in critical condition, hospital officials said.
Neighbours claimed they thought an earthquake was shaking their beds and breakfast tables. The explosion, which could be heard from blocks away, shattered windows around the neighbourhood.
“I heard a big explosion. Boom!” said Aisha Watts, who lives in the building next door.
“The walls started crumbling down. The windows were gone,” Watts said. The mother of three said she feared death but was soon rescued by a neighbour who kicked down the jammed door to her home.
Six blocks away, Robert Pauline’s apartment was rocked by the explosion.
“All of a sudden the whole building shook. We had no idea what was going on,” said the 56-year-old Columbia University data processor.
Crowds of residents, covered with protective scarves and masks, filled the sidewalks surrounding the explosion area, which was blocked off with yellow police tape.
“It’s a very active scene. It’s a very chaotic scene,” said Fire Department spokesman Michael Parrella.
Fire trucks used high cranes to spray water into the rubble, as dozens of ambulances and police cruisers with flashing lights swarmed the scene.
