Explosion Leads to Partial Collapse of NYC Apartment Building

Sat Oct 11 2025 03:36:15 GMT+0300 (Eastern European Summer Time)

A dramatic explosion in a Bronx public housing development has resulted in the partial collapse of a 20-storey apartment building, yet fortunately, no injuries have been reported. Investigations are underway to determine the cause of the explosion.

A section of a residential building in the Bronx, NYC, partially collapsed after a possible explosion sourced from its boiler room. Witnesses described hearing a loud boom as debris fell, but no injuries were reported. Investigations are ongoing to ascertain whether a gas leak instigated the explosion, with previous safety violations under scrutiny.

A section of a 20-storey residential building partially collapsed in New York City on Wednesday morning, and authorities say there are no injuries.

Firefighters and emergency responders searched into the afternoon for anyone who may have been trapped under the mounds of rubble outside the building, which is part of a public housing development in the Bronx.

The whole building just - you heard a loud boom, and the thing just exploded, and it fell down just like that, said one witness who spoke with CBS News.

The collapse seems to have originated from an explosion in the ventilation shaft of a boiler room, the city's fire commissioner Robert Tucker said in a news conference.

No apartments were damaged, but as a precautionary measure, some residents have been evacuated. Others were allowed to return, but the gas to the building has been shut off as authorities investigate.

Mayor Eric Adams indicated that the investigation will determine whether a gas leak caused the explosion. The New York City Housing Authority, which manages the complex, said in a statement that it is investigating the incident and still determining the extent of the damage.

NYC Department of Buildings issued a partial stop work order in June related to a plumbing violation. The building had a few open safety violations that could be tied to this incident.

The incident comes just a week after a fire in the same building left a teenage girl comatose and in critical condition, though reports confirm she is recovering now.

We were lucky that this emergency didn't result in a loss of life, that it didn't turn into a tragedy, remarked Amanda Septimo, an assembly member representing the area.