LOC06:59
03:59 GMT
NEW YORK, March 27 (KUNA) -- At least 19 people, including four firefighters, were injured as a result of a seemingly gas explosion in the East Village on Thursday.
The explosion caused two buildings to collapse as huge flames spread to neighboring buildings.
NYC Mayor Bill de Blasio said that the initial impact appears to have been caused by plumbing and gas work that was occurring inside building (121, 2nd Avenue).
The mayor said at a press conference that a reception station has been set up at (121 East Third Street), and the Red Cross site now to support residents of the buildings, neighbors, and family members.
On his part, Fire Department of New York (FDNY) Commissioner Daniel Nigro said it is a seventh alarm and there are approximately 250 of their members on the scene.
He confirmed that their members arrived in less than three minutes to a scene they certainly didn't expect - to see that this explosion blew the front of 121 across the street. They, for the first 15 minutes, he added, before the building started to collapse, made extremely dangerous searches of these buildings to search for any victims, and were forced out by the subsequent collapse of 123 and 121.
Con Edison, the company that supplies the energy in New York, said in a statement that personnel were at the location prior the blast to evaluate work the building plumber was doing inside 121 2nd Ave.
In connection with a gas service upgrade, the statement confirmed that the work failed the inspection for several reasons, including insufficient spacing for the installation of the meter in the basement.
"We had no reports of gas odors in the area prior to the fire and explosion," the statement said, adding that Con Edison will continue working with all agencies to investigate the accident. (end)
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