NEW YORK, NY – Panic and confusion hit the streets of Manhattan’s east Harlem after two buildings collapsed.
“All of a sudden this explosion goes off, boom! The kinetic energy had the door fly open, my cat flies out of the room, and I’m like you know what’s going on here,” said one witness.
Clouds of dark smoke filled the sky as hundreds of firefighters responded to the scene, dowsing water on flames that emerged from the rubble. Officials think this was a result of a gas leak.
“The explosion was based on a gas leak. The impact effected buildings around the two that were destroyed,” said Mayor Bill De Blasio.
Utility workers reportedly got a call shortly before the blast about a gas leak, but by the time someone responded, the tragedy had already unfolded.
“As soon as the explosion was called in, FDNY responded literally within two minutes of the call for help,” said Blasio.
Gas and electric utility workers tore up pavement in an effort to shutdown the gas lines.
Two people were killed in the massive explosion and nearly 20 others hurt and taken to area hospitals. Officials are still searching the rubble for any survivors.
But there wasn’t just tragedy on the east coast. In San Francisco, a five-alarm fire broke out at a condominium construction site. The fire could be seen for miles. Firefighters were able to put out the fire before it spread. Officials say this fire was the biggest the city had seen in several years. The cause of that fire is still being investigated.
