1 dead in Bronx building collapse after gas explosion
NEW YORK — A Bronx gas explosion sparked a massive fire and building collapse Tuesday, killing one resident, police said.
The fireball destroyed a three-story home on Fox Street near Intervale Avenue in Longwood after igniting about 10:50 a.m.
An 82-year-old woman was killed and a 77-year-old woman was critically hurt, police said. A 68-year-old woman was in stable condition. All three victims were rushed to Lincoln hospital, where the oldest woman died.
The son of one victim said his mother and his aunt were inside the building at the time of the blast and he was now at a Bronx hospital awaiting word on their conditions.
“Imagine getting a call out of the blue to find out you could be losing your mom and auntie,” he texted.
Five cops were taken to Lincoln Hospital with smoke inhalation after working to rescue residents.
The blast is believed to have been triggered by a gas explosion, according to police sources and local elected officials.
As firefighters began putting water on the fire, the building started to collapse, with the front facade falling onto a gray SUV parked outside. The fire also extended to a neighboring home.
Firefighters were ordered to back out of the building to douse the fire down from outside.
There were concerns that at least one person may have been trapped inside when the explosion occurred, sources said. Initial searches of the rubble did not find any additional victims.
“Currently at the scene of a massive fire due to a gas explosion in my district,” Councilman Salamanca wrote on Twitter. “All emergency first responders are on the scene and currently battling the fire. I will continue to remain on site with my team as long as it takes to get answers and ensure the community’s safety.”
Con Edison was called to the scene to help figure out exactly how the explosion occurred.
“Just received word that Con Edison will be shutting down the gas in the immediate area along Fox Street between Intervale Ave & Tiffany Street,” Salamanca tweeted. “With temperatures dropping, we will continue to monitor to ensure a restoration of gas once it is safe to do so.”
More than 100 firefighters, Emergency Medical Technicians and paramedics responded to the scene.
The blast comes just nine days after lethal smoke from a Bronx apartment building fire killed 17 people, the deadliest city fire in decades. That blaze was sparked by a faulty space heater and the smoke spread throughout the building after two self-closing doors failed to function properly.
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