A part of a high-rise apartment building collapsed on Wednesday morning in New York City, United States, with the fire department pointing to a gas explosion as the cause.
According to the Associated Press report citing the city’s fire department, there were no immediate reports of injuries. The department said that it was responding to a report of a gas explosion that collapsed an incinerator shaft in the 20-story building in the Bronx around 8:10 AM on Wednesday.
Incinerator shafts in New York City buildings were once used to dispose of trash, which was then burned on site. But they have largely been replaced with trash compactors, which can use the same chutes.
The collapse did not affect any residential units. The Housing Authority, which owns the building as part of the New York public housing system, is yet to issue a statement.
Visuals from the scene, viral on social media, show a high-rise with one corner collapsed from the ground floor to the roof. The videos also showed a cloud of dust billowing over the block moments after the collapse.
What the authorities said about New York apartment building collapse
New York mayor Eric Adams said in a social media statement that he was briefed about the apartment building collapse in the Bronx area and added that the officials were still getting a full assessment.
{{/usCountry}}New York mayor Eric Adams said in a social media statement that he was briefed about the apartment building collapse in the Bronx area and added that the officials were still getting a full assessment.
{{/usCountry}}“Please avoid the area for your safety,” he wrote on X.
City police said they received 911 calls about a building collapse at the Mitchel Houses just after 8 AM. Wednesday.
“Upon arrival, officers observed a partial building collapse,” the New York Police Department said in a statement.
Firefighters, city building officials and the Con Edison utility provider were on the scene as officers established a perimeter around the area.
In July 2023, a towering construction crane caught fire high above the West Side of Manhattan, causing its long arm to snap off, smash against a nearby building and plummet to the street as people ran for their lives on the sidewalk below. Several people suffered minor injuries in the collapse, but no one died.