New York, Jan 24, (dpa/GNA) – A gas explosion has caused a fire in a high-rise building in the Bronx district of New York.
One person lost their life, 14 others were injured, one of them critically, media reports said on Saturday. All were reportedly taken to local hospitals.
A firefighter was also injured, though not critically. Around 150 flats had to be evacuated.
The fire department was called to the 17-storey complex overnight because a gas smell had been reported there, the New York Times cited the authorities as saying.
The explosion occurred while the firefighters were in the building, the reports said. Subsequently, the fire is said to have spread to several flats on the 16th and 17th floors.
Mayor Mamdani : “My heart is with everyone affected”
Photos and videos circulating on the internet showed flames in the upper part of the building and rising black smoke.
John Esposito, the head of the fire brigade, described the incident to the New York Times as a “very, very dangerous operation.” It took about four hours to extinguish the fire.
According to the New York Times report, the authorities stated that the cause of the gas leak is being investigated.
“My heart is with everyone affected, and I’m deeply grateful to our first responders,” new New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani posted on the social media platform X.
In mid-January, a residential building in the Bronx partially collapsed. The chimney shaft of the 20-storey building collapsed in on itself, the fire department stated at the time. Previously, there had been reports of an explosion.
GNA