NYC High-Rise Partially Collapses After Gas Explosion, Sending Debris to the Street
A gas explosion at a New York City high-rise apartment building sparked a partial collapse of the structure, raining debris on the street below.
The explosion rocked the 20-story Mitchel Houses in the Bronx on Wednesday morning just after 8 a.m., when a large chunk of the building fell to the ground, leaving a huge pile of rubble.
Miraculously, no injuries or fatalities have been reported, Rep. Ritchie Torres (D-NY) told CNN by phone.
(Eduardo Munoz Alvarez/AP photo)
The FDNY told the Associated Press that the explosion caused an incinerator shaft to cave in, but no residential units were affected.
“New Yorkers, I have been briefed about the emergency situation taking place in the Mott Haven area of the Bronx,” NYC Mayor Eric Adams posted on his office X account. “We are getting a full assessment from first responders and will continue to provide updates. Please avoid the area for your safety.”
New York Gov. Kathy Hochul also chimed in on social media, saying in an X post that she, too, had been briefed on the situation, and she’s “relieved that no one was injured and grateful to our first responders.”
“An investigation is underway to determine the cause of this event and the extent of any damage beyond the reported exterior damage to the chimney,” the New York City Housing Authority (NYCHA) said in a statement city’s Housing authority said in a statement to the AP.
The Mitchel Houses, built in 1954, have been the subject of numerous complaints in recent years, with residents complaining about everything from rats and mice to leaky pipes.
As he addressed the building collapse on CNN, Torres took the opportunity to slam the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) for its failure to secure more funding for the city’s aging structures.
“As far as I’m concerned, the federal government is the worst slumlord in the United States, and I worry that situations like these could happen elsewhere.”
Watch above via CNN.
