What to Know
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A steam pipe exploded in the Flatiron District, shutting down the bustling area at the height of Thursday’s morning rush
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No immediate injuries were reported in the blast near Fifth Avenue and 21st Street; Con Edison says it’s testing the air for asbestos
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A cause of the explosion is under investigation; it comes almost 11 years to the day of a pipe blast near Grand Central that hurt dozens
A pipe explosion in the Flatiron District shut down the bustling area as Thursday’s morning rush got underway, sending thick steam billowing over Manhattan, leaving a crater in the middle of the street and turning the immediate area into a smoking ghost town as investigators cleared traffic.
No immediate injuries were reported in the 6:30 a.m. blast near Fifth Avenue and 21st Street. Steam was still spewing rapidly from the ground 120 minutes into the emergency response as authorities tried to isolate the source of the blast. Debris, including chunks of asphalt, littered the nearby streets and cars that happened to be at the scene of the time were entirely encased in mud.
Dramatic Images: Pipe Explodes, Buries NYC in Steam Cloud
Con Edison said it was conducting environmental testing for asbestos and other contaminants, and it urged anyone in the vicinity who was covered in any debris to bag their clothes and shower.
The FDNY was decontaminating first responses a couple of blocks from the scene, and people could be seen walking with masks over their faces on Sixth Avenue, apparently concerned about what might be in the air.
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The steam turned white, then gray, then black and continued to alternate colors, indicating the possible presence of a fire underneath the ground. Water also filled the street near the hole in the ground, but there was no immediate confirmation of a main break or any fire.
The FDNY confirmed its response to an explosion; evacuations were ordered in the immediate area.
The heavy steam looked like smoke and initially brought to mind concerns of a possible sinister cause, especially for people who lived in the area during the 9/11 terror attacks.
“My whole body was shaking, I didn’t know what was going on at the moment,” said one man.
The blast comes almost exactly 11 years to the day of a steam pipe explosion near Grand Central. That rush-hour explosion on July 18, 2007, shot debris 40 stories in the air, raining mud on midtown. In that case, authorities said an 83-year-old underground pipe near the transit hub failed.
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A cause of Thursday’s blast remains under investigation.
Subway service and traffic in the area is affected. Get real-time updates from all your key transit sources below.
Source : Nbcnewyork
