Natural Gas Explosion Injures 19 in NYC

A natural gas explosion in Manhattan’s Lower East Side injured 19 people and caused a building to collapse on Thursday, according to a report from CBS New York.

Four of the victims remained in critical condition this morning following the 3:15 p.m. Thursday explosion at 7th Street and Second Avenue.

Restaurant diners ran out of their shoes and bystanders helped one another to escape the blast, which damaged four buildings, according to the CBS report. Passers-by were hit by debris and flying glass, and bloodied victims were aided as they sat on sidewalks and lay on the ground.

“The explosion occurred in a five-story residential and commercial building on Second Avenue, not far from New York University. The fire escalated to seven alarms within an hour of the explosion with about 250 firefighters on scene, according to the FDNY,” CBS reported. “By late Thursday, at least two of the buildings had collapsed and the others were unstable, according to fire officials. An FDNY video captured one of the buildings falling down as firefighters attempted to extinguish the flames.”

New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio said preliminary evidence suggested a gas explosion amid plumbing and gas work was to blame.

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