Explosion causes building collapse in Upper Manhattan

Published time: March 12, 2014 14:05
Edited time: March 12, 2014 16:06

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Heavy smoke pours from the debris as the Fire Department of New York (FDNY) responds to a 5-alarm fire and building collapse at 1646 Park Ave in the Harlem neighborhood of Manhattan March 12, 2014 in New York City (AFP Photo / Andrew Burton)

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The Fire Department of New York was on the scene of a fire at a large residential building in Upper Manhattan Wednesday morning after eyewitnesses reportedly heard an explosion at around 9:31 a.m. EST.
Firefighters were still fighting the blaze at 1646 Park Avenue in Harlem around an hour later, and eyewitnesses told Fox News that debris from the partial collapse had spread several blocks throughout the neighborhood.
Around that same time, the FDNY upgraded the incident to a four-alarm blaze and confirmed that it was being categorized as a “multiple dwelling explosion and collapse” being handled by upwards of 168 firefighters. By 11 a.m., it was upgraded to a five-alarm.
Shortly after that time, the New York Times reported two fatalities.