New York City Buildings Collapse: Latest Updates And Timeline Of Events On SAYS
Rescuers have found the body of an eighth victim following a gas leak and explosion that demolished two buildings in Harlem, New York City.
By Sadho Ram — 13 Mar 2014, 01:09 PM — Updated over 10 years ago
New York City Buildings Collapse: Death Toll Raises To 8 As Rescue Operations Still On
Rescuers have found the body of an eighth victim following a gas leak and explosion that demolished two buildings in Harlem, New York City. Firefighters are trying to find further victims trapped beneath the rubble of the apartment blocks, with the death toll expected to rise. Police believe a handful of people remained unaccounted for.
New York City emergency responders search through the rubble at the site of a building explosion in the Harlem section of New York.
Image via stuff.co.nzTelescopic cameras and sound devices have been deployed to search small spaces in the wreckage. Less than 50% of debris has been removed from the site after Wednesday's incident, which injured more than 60. "We have to think of survivors and work in that way, with hope," Fire Department of New York Chief Edward Kilduff told US media of the ongoing operation.
theguardian.com
New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio Said That Search And Rescue Operations Would Continue "For An Open-Ended Period Of Time"
He said below-freezing temperatures and heavy winds that whipped up smouldering fires at the site were affecting recovery efforts. “This has been a very painful episode for the people of East Harlem,” de Blasio said. “There are still a lot of unknowns here.”
theguardian.com
Six People Have Died And Nine Are Missing After A Gas Leak Sparked An Explosion Which Levelled Two Buildings In New York City
Heavy smoke pours from the debris as the Fire Department of New York (FDNY) responds to a 5-alarm fire and building collapse at 1646 Park Ave in the Harlem neighborhood of Manhattan March 12, 2014 in New York City
Image via Photo by Andrew Burton/Getty ImagesA gas leak triggered an earthshaking explosion that flattened two apartment buildings on Wednesday, killing four people and leaving nine missing.
kansascity.com
The blast, which scattered debris across nearby rooftops, brought down the neighboring five-story buildings, with a total of 15 apartments, at about 9:30 a.m. on a largely residential Upper Manhattan block at East 116th Street and Park Avenue.
Over 60 People Have Been Injured In The Incident, Which Sent Smoke Billowing Into The City Sky
Clouds of thick smoke billowed from the rubble of the apartment buildings that sat above a ground-level church and a piano store in a largely Latino working-class neighborhood. Officials declined to give a number of people still missing.
Mayor Bill de Blasio, who rushed to the scene in East Harlem, where a cascade of twisted and burnt metal blocked the sidewalk and covered parked cars, said preliminary information showed the explosion was caused by a gas leak.
bangordailynews.com
The Blast Occurred 15 Minutes After A Resident In An Adjacent Building Called The Energy Company Con Edison To Complain Of A Gas Odor
Edward Foppiano, Con Ed’s vice president for gas operations, said that while the utility could not say for certain what caused the explosion, it was treating the incident as a gas leak.
The utility most recently responded to customer complaints about a gas odor in the area last May, but the problem had been resolved, Foppiano said.
bangordailynews.com
Two Who Have Died Are Women In Their 40s, And Of The 64 Injured, At Least One Of Those Is A Child
Two women were killed and at least 64 people injured, one of them critically, with most suffering cuts, broken bones and smoke inhalation, authorities said. One of the deceased had not yet been identified, while the second woman’s name was being withheld pending notification of family.
45-Year-Old Brian Wilson Raced To The Scene With His DJI Phantom 2 Quadcopter And Shot About 30 Minutes Of Video
Brian Wilson captured stunning aerial images Wednesday of the buildings flattened by an explosion on Park Ave. at E. 116th St. — thanks to his camera-equipped whirlybird.
nydailynews.com
“When the smoke cleared, you could see everything, where the buildings separated, where the walls fell, the debris scattered on the Metro-North tracks across the street,” said Wilson, 45, a business systems expert.
Brian Wilson launches his drone at the scene of the fatal blast. It flew for about 30 minutes
Image via nydailynews.comWilson said he heard about the explosion from his roommate and immediately jumped in a cab with his flying camera and headed to the scene. “I mostly use it to shoot real estate or sports events,” he said of his DJI Phantom 2 quadcopter. “This was the first time I used it for breaking news.” He said when he reached the chaotic scene, the smoke was so thick he could barely see.
nydailynews.com
Eventually the police asked Wilson to land his camera drone, after he captured about a half hour of video
Image via nydailynews.comCops questioned him about his four-blade, 3-pound gadget, but allowed him to launch.
Wilson said he sent the drone up 150 to 200 feet and shot for about 30 minutes before his battery ran down. “At the end, the cops said they’d prefer if I didn’t fly in the area anymore, so I stopped,” he said.
New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio Said: "This Is A Tragedy Of The Worst Kind. There Was No Indication In Time To Save People"
“Want to emphasize to all family all friends: We are expending every effort to locate each and every loved one,” he said. DeBlasio said the city did not want to speculate yet as to how many are missing, but the AP is reporting that more than a dozen are still unaccounted for. “Some might be safe and sound elsewhere in the city,” DeBlasio said.
forbes.comNeighbours Said They Thought An Earthquake Was Shaking Them From Their Beds And Breakfast Tables
The explosion, which could be heard from blocks away, shattered windows around the neighborhood. “I heard a big explosion. Boom!” said Aisha Watts, who lives in the building next door.
bangordailynews.com
“The walls started crumbling down. The windows were gone,” said Watts. The mother of three said she feared she would die but was soon rescued by a neighbor who kicked down the jammed door to her home.
President Barack Obama Was Briefed On The Collapse And Sent His Condolences To The Victims’ Families And His Support To First Responders At The Scene
“Our thoughts and prayers go out to everyone impacted by this incident,” the White House said in a statement.
canindia.com
Crowds Of Residents, Their Faces Covered With Protective Scarves And Masks, Filled The Sidewalks Of Surrounding Streets, Which Were Blocked Off With Yellow Police Tape
Bystanders cover their faces against the smoke as they watch the scene of an explosion and building collapse at Park Avenue and East 116th Street March 12, 2014 in the Harlem section of New York
Image via digitaljournal.com"It's A Very Chaotic Scene," Said Fire Department Spokesman Michael Parrella. Fire Trucks Used High Cranes To Spray Blasts Of Water Into The Rubble, As Dozens Of Ambulances And Police Cruisers With Flashing Lights Swarmed The Scene.
Meanwhile, Representative Charlie Rangel Called The Deadly Building Explosion In His Harlem, District His Community’s 9/11
“This is a very serious thing.It’s our community’s 9/11, even though we don’t know how it started,” Rangel told a local news affiliate Wednesday.
“The whole New York delegation has been concerned, and members that are not in committee are glued to the television and hearing reports from you makes us at least a little closer to home.”
Rangel said he was considering leaving Washington to go back to his district to be with his community. “I’ve never had anything this horrific that’s happened in my community since I’ve been in Washington,” he said. “I hope that soon, and very soon, it will be contained and we can go back to some degree of normal normalcy.”