‘LIKE A BOMB’

Horrifying Moment NYC High-Rise Suffers Terrifying Collapse

Local outlets have attributed the shocking scene to a gas explosion.

Commuters were stopped in their tracks Wednesday morning after an explosion sheared off the side of a high-rise apartment building in New York City.

Local outlet ABC 7 has attributed the horrifying incident to a gas fault that collapsed an incinerator shaft running up the 17-story block. The remainder of the building appears to have been unaffected by the incident and there are no reports of injuries at this stage, with two New York Police Department K-9 units having reportedly been sent in to search through the rubble.

Residents have expressed their shock and horror in the aftermath of the collapse. “We heard a boom [that] sounded like a bomb!” one resident said, as another described how “my mom came knocking on my door and we ran out as soon as we could. I had no shoes on, but it sounded very urgent.”

“Feeling it and the intensity, and going downstairs, you could barely go downstairs, everybody is trying to go downstairs. People were carrying babies, people got no shoes on, got no coats, no hats, it’s cold outside,” another person added.

The Department of Buildings is understood to have placed a cordon around the site to prevent injuries from any further debris that may fall from the site, located at Mitchel Houses on Alexander Avenue in the Mott Haven area of The Bronx.

Gas supply is now reported to have been shut off to the impacted building, with a nearby water supply pipe also understood to have been affected by the collapse.

New York City Mayor Eric Adams has addressed the incident on X. “New Yorkers, I have been briefed about the emergency situation taking place in the Mott Haven area of the Bronx,” he wrote. “We are getting a full assessment from first responders and will continue to provide updates.”

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“Please avoid the area for your safety,” he added.

The New York City Housing Authority has also released a statement clarifying that a number of agencies including the police and fire departments as well as the city’s emergency management services were already on the scene.

“Fortunately, no injuries have been reported, and 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,” it said. “Agencies are on site to ensure the safety of residents and the public.”

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