Gas Leak Suspected in NYC Apartment Explosion
By Fernando Hurtado
Video by Frances Wang
Video by Frances Wang
Wednesday, March 12, 2014 | 1:54 p.m. PDT
The view from a Columbia University dorm room. (Lisa Huang)
The fiery blast was reported at 9:30 a.m. in East Harlem, 15 minutes after a nearby resident reported smelling gas, according to police.
Two five-story buildings on Park Avenue at 116th Street were reduced to rubble, near Central Park.
Molly Boggess, a student at the Manhattan School of Music, said she lives in Manhattan "but could see hazy skies" from where she was.
The explosion's effects were felt by nearby buildings. Debris went flying onto elevated commuter railroad tracks, nearby windows were shattered, and people were running down the streets.
