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MOTT HAVEN, Bronx (WABC) — There were no reports of injuries after a gas explosion in the Bronx caused a partial collapse of a high-rise apartment building on Wednesday morning.
It happened at NYCHA’s Mitchel Houses on Alexander Avenue in the Mott Haven section just after 8 a.m.
The explosion is believed to have occurred in the boiler, which collapsed the chimney structure, officials said.
WATCH VIDEO OF THE EXPLOSION AND COLLAPSE:
New video shows the Bronx building partially collapse after a gas explosion.
City officials held a press conference later Wednesday morning and said there were no fatalities or any injuries in connection to the incident.
The explosion collapsed the shaft of the 17-story building, which appeared to be an entire corner of the high-rise. The rest of the building appeared to be stable with no apartments affected, but that was being investigated by the Department of Buildings.
A birds eye drone photo provided of the partial building collapse in the Bronx by the FDNY.
FDNY
A pile of rubble at the base of the building was littered with bricks, debris and air conditioners. Two NYPD K-9s searched the rubble with no indication of anyone trapped.
The DOB set up a collapse zone for any other debris that falls.
Some demolition will take place later Wednesday to remove the remnants of the chimney, to get into the basement and then to restore services heat, hot water and cooking gas to the campus, officials said.
A pile of bricks and debris could be seen at the site of the collapse.
Residents are being sent to a community center at 138th Street and Alexander Avenue as the building is evaluated.
They shared their shock of experiencing this explosion with Eyewitness News.
“The fact that half of the building is gone and you felt it…luckily everybody was able to get out safe, but 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,” a resident said.
It appears the incinerator shaft collapsed along the length of the entire building.
CitizenApp
“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,” another resident said.
“We heard a boom it sounded like a bomb!” another man said.
The FDNY, NYPD, NYC Buildings Department and Department of Environmental Protection responded to the scene. Con Edison shut off gas service to the impacted building. A collapsed underground water main was also reported as a result of the explosion.
NYCHA released a statement saying:
“This morning, NYCHA joined partner agencies including FDNY, NYPD, NYCEM and DOB, as well as Con Edison, to respond to an incident at Mitchel Houses. Early reports are of an explosion in a building chimney. 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. Agencies are on site to ensure the safety of residents and the public.”
More than 3,400 people live in the Mitchell Houses, which were built in 1966. Residents along the F and G lines were evacuated.
The Buildings Department website shows there was a partial stop work order on this building from June 25.
Stay with Eyewitness News and abc7NY for the latest on this breaking news story.
Jaysha Patel reports from the scene in the Mott Haven section.
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