An explosion destroyed buildings and injured 19 in Manhattan's East Village
19 people were injured, four of them critically - 5 members of the FDNY were reportedly among the injured.
The New York Daily News reports at least one family was still looking for a loved one who they believe was inside a restaurant in the building that exploded.
The FDNY said more than 200 emergency responders arrived on the scene to battle the 7-alarm blaze, which erupted near St. Marks and East 2nd Avenue.
Mayor Bill de Blasio said during a news conference early evidence points to a gas explosion as plumbing and gas work was being done inside the building that collapsed.
The Department of Buildings lists open complaints relating to an explosion for 121 2nd Avenue and a fire at 123 2nd Avenue (built in 1900).
Here's a map of the location:
Authorities told DNA Info that the explosion was consistent with a gas explosion. ConEd shut off gas in the East Village area of 2nd Avenue as a precaution that is taken in any emergency situation involving a fire, a spokesperson told Business Insider. ConEd also has crews investigating the situation.
The explosion caused the collapse of a five story apartment building, according to FDNY, and the subsequent fire apparently spread to two other buildings. City building and fire officials say so far at least 2 buildings have collapsed. Adjacent buildings were in various states of collapse well into Thursday evening.
Karen Kolatka was at Middle Collegiate Church on Second Avenue between 6th and 7th Street, directly across from the explosion. "We saw the biggest flames shooting out beyond the roof ...the smoke was almost as wide as the block."
A man who was nearby when it happened told us, "it was the loudest boom I ever heard. There was debris everywhere and people running and screaming."
A nearby NYU student told us, "I breathed a little in and it was complete smoke. It was really bad."
"Everything's blocked from [St. Mark's Place] to 7th" an NYPD officer on the scene told Business Insider. "They're afraid more buildings are going to collapse."
"We heard a big sound, then three or four people fell on the street," Shameem Noor, a cashier at a restaurant about a block away, told Reuters.
"People were running and screaming," he said. "There's a big fire on the roof and black smoke."
These images show how intense the scene was:
