One Dead, At Least 16 Hurt In East Harlem Building Explosion
New York police and fire officials are on the scene of a probable gas explosion and partial building collapse at 116th Street and Park Avenue in Upper Manhattan.
NEW YORK - March 12, 2014 (WPVI) -- New York police and fire officials are on the scene of an explosion and partial building collapse at 116th Street and Park Avenue in Upper Manhattan Wednesday morning.
At least 11 injuries were reported, and Harlem Hospital has one patient with heavy trauma and is expecting at least one more, according to WABC-TV in New York.
A fourth-alarm fire was burning, and the structural integrity appeared to be compromised. Witnesses reported seeing what appeared to be at least a partial roof collapse.
Smoke poured from the top of the building, and huge amounts of debris littered the surrounding sidewalks and elevated tracks in the area.Windows of buildings in the area were blown out by the force of the blast, and the fire may have spread to other structures as well. Firefighters were dousing the site with water from ladder trucks.