[ad_1]
An 86-year-old underground steam pipe exploded in New York City on Thursday morning, spitting dangerous asbestos-contaminated debris throughout the area and leaving a crater on a bus-size street. of town.
Interested in New York?
Add New York as an interest in staying up to date on the latest news from New York, the video and analysis of ABC News.
The explosion occurred 6:39 am in the Flatiron area of Manhattan, a few blocks from the iconic Flatiron Building, according to the New York City Fire Department .
While only five people suffered minor injuries, asbestos contamination was the biggest concern, New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio.
"There was asbestos in the envelope of the steam pipe, which obviously worries us," De Blasio said at a press conference Thursday afternoon near Fifth Avenue.
The steam pipe was installed in 1932, officials said.
The mayor spoke shortly after receiving the results of tests conducted by Con Edison and the city's environmental protection department.
A total of 49 buildings have been evacuated, many of which contain residential units. require decontamination that could take a few days, said the mayor.
"There is a real concern if debris has entered buildings and air conditioners," de Blasio said.
He added: "We also tested the air since the moment of the incident, the air has dissipated fairly quickly after the incident, so that the air in this area is now safe, there is no significant presence of asbestos in the air. this point. "
De Blasio said that he was lucky that the explosion took place early in the morning before the area was teeming people and commuters who were going to work.
"Thank God, no one was seriously injured at the time," he said.
Aerial imagery showed that a mud-covered vehicle had stopped a few inches from the crater at the intersection of Fifth Avenue and 21st Street. The crater was about 32 feet in diameter, about three lanes wide.
"It was a big boom and the building just shook," said Byron Chavers, who works in the area, at ABC's New York City WABC-TV station.
Five people were slightly injured but did not need to go to the hospital, said FDNY Commissioner Daniel Nigro.
"This is the good news for today," Nigro said at a press conference near the scene of the blast.
Source link