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NEW YORK – A steam pipe exploded in Manhattan, causing evacuations and covering commuters in mud and debris during the busy hours of Thursday morning.
A spokesman for the New York Fire Department said: 39 hours for a "high-pressure steam explosion" in the neighborhood near Madison Square Park. About an hour later, 25 firetrucks and over 100 firefighters and medical staff were on the scene. There were no injuries or deaths, said the FDNY.
Firefighters evacuated buildings near the scene of the explosion at 141 Fifth Avenue, according to the spokesman for the FDNY.
"It's great," the spokesman said. "This is not smoke, it's steam, but there must always be something where the buildings are evacuated."
Officials said the firefighters were still working to contain the three-alarm explosion. A contractor for the city's environmental protection department was doing a water pipe installation at the intersection, according to city records.
NYPD police were also on the scene to direct traffic, according to NYPD
Sgt. Lee Jones.
He added that the incident did not seem to be criminal.
A spokesman for Con Edison said the crews were testing "asbestos" and "other contaminants" in the area. "As a precaution, it is advisable for anyone in the vicinity of the break and covered with equipment to put their clothes and shower," the spokesman said in a statement.
The chief spokesman of the mayor of New York said in a tweet that the explosion did not seem to cause structural damage.
"First responders finish closing water pipes now", spokesperson
Eric Phillips
I said. "FDNY inspecting nearby manholes for safety Preventive and temporary evacuations from nearby buildings Travel delays are likely to remain."
City subway lines R and W bypassed 23rd Street in both directions because of the incident, according to the Metropolitan Transportation Authority.
Ernest Hinnant,
who was working in the area in a co-working company, left the subway at Union Square just before 6:45 am and noticed some steam, thinking it was coming from a restaurant. When he turned to Fifth Avenue, he saw a plume of clouds and heard the roar of the steam.
"There is a kind of solid substance that comes out of the cloud and covers the ground.In the beginning, I sincerely thought that the solid substance was ash and that it was a fire, but it's just gray and not ash, "said Mr. Hinnant.
He said the blast had put two holes in the street, a bigger hole on Fifth Avenue and the 21st and another just south of Fifth Avenue and 20th Street.
"This is still happening completely, it's like a huge roar," said Mr. Hinnant. "I can see two cars a little under the cloud, they are completely covered by what falls from the thing. "
Shella Eckhouse,
a Manhattan resident who works in a jewelry store, was driving a Citi bike to an exercise class in Chelsea when the explosion occurred just meters away.
"Suddenly, I heard" Pow! " Did she say. "There was debris falling and steam flying, I was covered with mud."
Eckhouse said that she "pedaled so fast" to run away as fast as possible. possible. In less than a minute, she had parked her Citi bike and was heading to her class.
Now she is a little philosophical about the experience. "It's New York City," she said. "Anything can happen anytime."
-Charles Passy contributed to this article.
Writing to Zolan Kanno-Youngs at [email protected]
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