At least 19 people were injured, four of them critically, when an explosion and seven-alarm fire destroyed an apartment building and burned three other structures in New York City's East Village Thursday.

At an evening news conference, New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio said a preliminary investigation indicated that a gas explosion caused by plumbing and gas work in the building that collapsed was to blame. The New York Post reported that construction crews accidentally "hit a gas main."

Craig Ivey, the president of utility company Con Edison said a plumber had been doing work connected to a gas service upgrade, and inspectors had been there to check on a planned meter installation an hour before the fire. But the work failed the inspection, partly because a space for the new meters wasn't big enough, and the inspectors said gas couldn't be introduced to that part of the building, Con Ed said.

De Blasio said no one had reported a gas leak before Thursday's explosion, and Con Edison said it had surveyed the gas mains on the block Wednesday and found no leaks. But bystander Blake Farber, who lives around the corner, told the Associated Press he'd been walking by the building and smelled gas seconds before the big blast.

Smoke from the fire could be seen and smelled across the city in the hours after the explosion, which occurred at around 3:15 p.m. local time. Flames shot out of the top of the five-story building at 2nd Avenue and 7th Street. Items from a ground-floor sushi restaurant were blown into the street, while the force of the explosion blew a cafe door across the avenue. Rubble, glass and debris littered the sidewalks.

The area was evacuated, and the city's health department advised residents to keep their windows closed because of the smoke. Firefighters continued pouring water on the buildings for hours after the explosion, in an area of old tenement buildings that are home to students and longtime residents near New York University and Washington Square Park. At least one family sought help at an American Red Cross relief center set up at a school.

In addition to the collapsed building, at 121 2nd Avenue, another building next door was "in danger of possible collapse," according to FDNY Commissioner Daniel Nigro. Two other nearby buildings were affected by the explosion.

Adil Choudhury, who lives a block away, ran outside when he heard "a huge boom."

"Already there was smoke everywhere" when he saw the building, he told The Associated Press. "The flames were coming out from the roof. The fire was coming out of every window."

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12 injured, 3 critically, in NYC building explosion - VIDEO: 'Major' building collapse in NYC - VIDEO: Seven-alarm ...

Published: 9:18AM Friday March 27, 2015 Source: ONE News/AP

Accounts of desperate attempts to flee a raging New York inferno are emerging, with residents seen jumping from fire escapes as they tried to get to safety.

Up to 30 people are thought to be injured in the "major building collapse" during the apartment fire near the corner of Second Avenue and East Seventh Street in Manhattan's East Village.

Niraj Desai, 36, who works nearby, said he saw one woman stuck on a fire escape struggling to get the ladder unhooked, The New York Times reported.

"This poor girl was stuck upstairs," Mr. Desai said. "She was having a hard time. You could tell there was a lot of emotion going on. A bunch of guys were down at the bottom helping her get down."

Another man also made his way down the fire escape ladder before smoke started to pour from the building, he said.

New York Mayor Bill de Blasio of New York, speaking at a news conference at the scene, said that "preliminary evidence suggests a gas-related explosion" was caused by plumbing and gas work nearby.

Construction worker Matty Disilvestro also described the scene of chaos as the fire engulfed the Manhattan apartment block this morning.

"I heard a loud explosion, just a very loud vibrating boom.People who were on the sidewalks and even people on the opposite side of the street were hit with debris,"told The New York Post.

Robert Shapiro witnessed the fire from nearby cafe. He described the intensity of the fire. "I've never seen such an aggressive fire - it was like they were pouring gas on it," he told the New York Post.

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Residents jump from Manhattan apartment to escape raging inferno

Curtis Johnson / The Herald-Dispatch Debris lies and smoke rises early Friday from an apartment building destroyed by fire at the intersection of 7th Avenue and 8th Street near downtown Huntington.

Curtis Johnson / The Herald-Dispatch Debris lies and smoke rises early Friday from an apartment building destroyed by fire at the intersection of 7th Avenue and 8th Street near downtown Huntington.

Curtis Johnson / The Herald-Dispatch Debris lies and smoke rises early Friday from an apartment building destroyed by fire at the intersection of 7th Avenue and 8th Street near downtown Huntington.

Curtis Johnson / The Herald-Dispatch Debris lies and smoke rises early Friday from an apartment building destroyed by fire at the intersection of 7th Avenue and 8th Street near downtown Huntington.

Curtis Johnson / The Herald-Dispatch Debris lies and smoke rises early Friday from an apartment building destroyed by fire at the intersection of 7th Avenue and 8th Street near downtown Huntington.

Curtis Johnson / The Herald-Dispatch Debris lies and smoke rises early Friday from an apartment building destroyed by fire at the intersection of 7th Avenue and 8th Street near downtown Huntington.

Mar. 27, 2015 @ 11:01 PM

HUNTINGTON A fire destroyed a three-story apartment building early Friday, damaged another next door and closed a major thoroughfare into downtown Huntington.

Its flames and a partial collapse left five people looking for a new home, while a first-floor alterations company salvaged the inventory it could and pulled files as customers wondered about dresses inside the collapse zone.

Dispatchers learned of the fire at 3:44 a.m., but the call came too late for firefighters tasked with saving a building located just seconds from the city's main fire station.

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Fire destroys apartment building downtown

An apartment building exploded and burst into flames Thursday in New York City's East Village, injuring at least a dozen people, three of them critically, in what authorities said was a possible gas-related incident.

Flames could be seen shooting out of the top of the five-story building at 2nd Ave. and 7th Street, which partially collapsed shortly after the explosion at 3:20 p.m. Items from a ground-floor sushi restaurant were blown into a street, and the explosion was so forceful that it blew the door off a cafe across the avenue. Rubble, glass and debris littered sidewalks, and smoke could be seen and smelled for miles.

The FDNY reported it as a seven-alarm fire. Authorities said no firefighters or civilians were missing.

Mayor Bill de Blasio said at an early evening press conference that a preliminary report from utility Con Edison indicated that it was a gas-related explosion caused by plumbing and gas work. But he said it was too soon to speculate what, exactly, caused the blast.

"Until we know what happened here, we cannot pass judgment," de Blasio said. He confirmed that 12 people were injured, three of them critically, but said there were no immediate reports of fatalities.

Con Edison inspection crews visited the building about an hour before the explosion to evaluate a planned installation of a meter during ongoing construction, utility president Craig Ivey said. But the meter didn't pass the inspection, meaning it wasn't ready for gas to be introduced.

De Blasio said there was no indication anyone called to report a possible gas leak. Con Edison crews were at the scene and planned to start investigating after firefighters got the blaze under control.

Another building next door was "in danger of possible collapse," FDNY Commissioner Daniel Nigro said, and two other nearby buildings were affected by the explosion.

About 250 firefighters were at the scene early Thursday evening.

The area was being evacuated, and the city's health department advised residents to keep their windows closed because of the smoke.

Continued here:
RAGING NYC BLAZE At least a dozen injured after building explodes

7:30 P.M.

The Fire Department of New York says four people are in critical condition among a dozen injured in an explosion, building collapse and fire in Manhattan's East Village.

Officials initially said three were critically hurt in Thursday's blast. Firefighter Ed Long says the tally is up to four.

Mayor Bill de Blasio (dih BLAH'-zee-oh) says preliminary evidence suggests a gas-related explosion is to blame. He says plumbing and gas work appear to have sparked the problem inside one building.

That building collapsed. A second building partially collapsed. The fire and blast ultimately affected four buildings near New York University and Washington Square Park.

Fire Commissioner Daniel Nigro (NEYE'-groh) has said a third building is in danger of collapse.

___

6:45 P.M.

The American Red Cross is helping people displaced by an explosion, building collapse and fire in Manhattan's East Village.

The regional CEO for the aid organization's New York chapter says one family so far has come into a relief center set up at a nearby school after Thursday's blast.

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Latest on NY fire, building collapse: Partial collapse, too

Reuters

A residential apartment building collapses and is engulfed in flames in New York City's East Village neighbourhood, critically injuring four.

A five-storey building apartment building exploded "like a bomb" in New York City, then caught fire and collapsed. At least a dozen people were injured, with four in critical condition.

Stunned survivors spilled into the streets at Second Avenue and East 7th Street, and one brave soul scaled a fire escape and started kicking out windows until fire beat him back.

"I saw a man running out with his hair singed," Chloe Kekovic who works nearby, told the New York Daily News. "He was screaming at unable to see."

"It was like a bomb," Aleksandr Srdi, 32, who lives around the corner, told DNAInfo. "Everyone was like what's going on? People from Starbucks were yelling to get back inside and they were trying to lock the doors."

NYC Mayor Bill de Blasio said that preliminary evidence suggests a natural gas-related explosion. "That investigation is ongoing," he said.

There had been plumbing and gas work ongoing at 121 Second Avenue, and inspectors with the Con Edison utility were at the building hours earlier to check a meter installation. The unit didn't pass inspection and gas was not turned back on at the meter, Con Ed's president, Craig Ivey, told reporters.

Construction worker Matty Disilvestro, 51, told the New York Post he felt "the pressure of the blast" a block away.

"I heard a loud explosion, just a very loud vibrating boom.People who were on the sidewalks and even people on the opposite side of the street were hit with debris," he said.

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Building explosion in NYC triggers huge blaze; gas leak suspected

Reuters

A residential apartment building collapses and is engulfed in flames in New York City's East Village neighbourhood, critically injuring four.

A five-storey building apartment building exploded "like a bomb" in New York City, then caught fire and collapsed. At least a dozen people were injured, with four in critical condition.

Stunned survivors spilled into the streets at Second Avenue and East 7th Street, and one brave soul scaled a fire escape and started kicking out windows until fire beat him back.

"I saw a man running out with his hair singed," Chloe Kekovic who works nearby, told the New York Daily News. "He was screaming at unable to see."

"It was like a bomb," Aleksandr Srdi, 32, who lives around the corner, told DNAInfo. "Everyone was like what's going on? People from Starbucks were yelling to get back inside and they were trying to lock the doors."

NYC Mayor Bill de Blasio said that preliminary evidence suggests a natural gas-related explosion. "That investigation is ongoing," he said.

There had been plumbing and gas work ongoing at 121 Second Avenue, and inspectors with the Con Edison utility were at the building hours earlier to check a meter installation. The unit didn't pass inspection and gas was not turned back on at the meter, Con Ed's president, Craig Ivey, told reporters.

Construction worker Matty Disilvestro, 51, told the New York Post he felt "the pressure of the blast" a block away.

"I heard a loud explosion, just a very loud vibrating boom.People who were on the sidewalks and even people on the opposite side of the street were hit with debris," he said.

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Building explosion in NYC triggers huge blaze

updated 11:05

Published: 9:18AM Friday March 27, 2015 Source: ONE News/AP

A construction worker has described a scene of chaos as a fire, thought to be caused by a gas explosion, engulfed a Manhattan apartment block this morning.

"I heard a loud explosion, just a very loud vibrating boom.People who were on the sidewalks and even people on the opposite side of the street were hit with debris," Matty Disilvestro told The New York Post.

Up to 30 people are thought to be injured in the "major building collapse" near the corner of Second Avenue and East Seventh Street in Manhattan's East Village.

Robert Shapiro witnessed the fire from nearby cafe. He described the intensity of the fire. "I've never seen such an aggressive fire - it was like they were pouring gas on it," he told the New York Post.

"The roof erupted in flames. I swear to you, at least 30 feet in the air, bright orange flames," he said.

The Associated Press is reporting at least two people who have been critically injured.

CNBC reports an explosion happened in a restaurant near the ground floor of the building with fire spreading to an apartment building.

Two buildings have been consumed by fire. According to the NY Post, a diner who was eating at the Sushi Park restaurant nearby told police he heard a blast from inside the nearby kitchen.

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Manhattan apartment inferno: 'It was like they were pouring gas on it'

Austin Walsh/Daily Journal Ashley Canty lives at 1128 Douglas Ave. in Burlingame, where a 29-unit apartment complex is slated to be built.

The house at 1128 Douglas Ave. is the former home James and Jessie Murphy and is recognized as a historical site in Burlingame. The house is proposed to be moved to a property on Oak Grove Avenue to make way for a new residential development, which some neighbors oppose.

Burlingame residents fighting the proposed relocation of a historic house from Douglas Avenue and development of the property into a 29-unit apartment building said they are worried the project would forever alter the character of their downtown neighborhood.

Those living near the single-family homes at 1128 and 1132 Douglas Ave. expressed their frustration with the proposed construction of a five-story apartment complex that would offer rental rooms during a Planning Commission meeting Wednesday, March 24.

To make way for the project, builders have suggested razing the residence at 1132 Douglas Ave. and picking up the historic house next door at 1128 Douglas Ave. to move it about half a mile away to a location on Oak Grove Avenue.

The house located at 1128 Douglas Ave. is the former home of James Murphy, who served as an early city stationmaster and later worked as city clerk before his death in 1940. His wife Jessie Murphy served as a park commissioner and helped develop Burlingames identity as the City of Trees, according to a city report.

The building, built in 1903 and relocated to its current location in 1914, is recognized by the city as a historic resource.

To preserve the home through the proposed development of the sites on Douglas into an apartment complex, the builder has offered to move the historic building to 524 Oak Grove Ave.

There is a single-family home currently located at the site on the property at Oak Grove Avenue that would need to be demolished to make way for the relocation of the home from Douglas Avenue.

But residents living near the site of the proposed development on Douglas Avenue say the neighborhood is unfit for such a large-scale residential project, and fear the traffic and parking impacts by adding nearly 30 more apartments.

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Size an issue for apartment plan; Historic home in downtown Burlingame would be moved for new five-story building

Aided by a $600,000 federal grant, the Missoula Housing Authority plans to construct a new six-unit apartment building this summer and offer the units as affordable housing under its Home Grant program.

Lori Davidson, executive director of the MHA, said the agency applied for and received a state Home Grant worth $610,000, giving it a green light to begin the project planned near the corner of California and Dakota streets.

Dubbed Dakota Place, the project will include one-bedroom units.

Its on a parcel of land donated by the city, which it deemed to be surplus, said Davidson. They donated that to the Housing Authority. The units will be rented at affordable rates determined by the Home Program.

Davidson said MHA is now preparing a request for proposals, a step that launches the process of designing and building the apartments. She believes the process will take several weeks, giving time for design work.

MHA hopes to begin construction this summer.

It means six people who did not have affordable housing will have it, Davidson said. Any construction we can do is invaluable. Our waiting list is close to 2,000 people all the time, and there isnt enough to go around. Finding the funding to build them and operate them is always a challenge.

Davidson said MHA received a Home Grant roughly 10 years ago. It helped the agency refurbish the Uptown Apartments, which provide single-room occupancy downtown to formerly homeless individuals.

The new grant is the first earmarked for new construction.

Were at 500 units of affordable housing in Missoula, said Davidson. We applied for this about a year ago, but its been in the works for years.

The rest is here:
Missoula Housing Authority to build six-unit complex near Old Sawmill District