Buildings Collapse After Explosion, Fire In East Harlem
It happened around 9 a.m. on Park Avenue on 116th Street, the FDNY said.
One of the buildings that collapsed had a piano repair shop with apartments above. The second building housed a church. It’s unclear if anyone was inside the buildings at the time of the explosion. Officials believe the buildings were both 5 stories tall.
The FDNY says so far, 16 injuries have been reported, four serious and 12 minor. Harlem Hospital says it received one patient with serious trauma. Video from the scene shows heavy smoke rising from the area as hundreds of firefighters battle the blaze, which has been upgraded to five-alarms. Debris and rubble could be seen scattered all over the area.
Witnesses reported hearing a loud explosion. “I was home and then next thing you know I’m laying down and I hear this big explosion,” eyewitness Mack Mayor told CBS 2. “I came out, looked up and a building was just gone.
