Posted on 07/18/2007 5:29:09 PM PDT by Nachum
(New York - WABC, June 18, 2007) - A large steam explosion struck Midtown Manhattan on the east side Wednesday evening. Subway service through Grand Central is affected. There have been 12 confirmed injuries.
It happened near 41st Street between 3rd and Lexington Avenue. The entire area from 41st Street to 47 Street in and around Third Avenue and Park Avenue has been evacuated and closed.
The NYPD says a steam pipe exploded at 6:10 p.m. People were seen running from the scene, screaming and shouting amid an enormous roaring sound and a plume of steam and flying rubble. It caused brief panic about another terror attack. New York Police Department spokesman Paul Browne said it was not terrorism related. Mayor Bloomberg is at the scene.
We're told at least 12 people were injured. Two people who were seriously injured were being treated at New York Weill-Cornell Medical Center. A hospital spokeswoman says they were in critical condition and a third patient with lesser injuries was also being evaluated.
NewsCopter 7 was over the the gaping hole on the street which is two or three lanes wide. A red tow truck was discovered stuck inside.
Eyewitness News' Jeff Rossen reports that steam and debris -- filled with rocks and mud -- were pouring out of a hole in the street next to a school bus.
We're told 190 firefighters and 44 units responded.
Andrew Troisi with the New York City Office of Emergency Management said people should stay out of the area. Con Ed is shutting down the steam feed to the area, and buildings around the site of the blast have been evacuated.
An FDNY spokesman also confirmed that they're concerned about possible asbestos contamination. As a result, two asbestos decon teams are on scene. A Con Ed spokesman stated that testing was underway on the broken pipe for asbestos.
One man told us it was total chaos when this happened.
"The building shook a little bit and small particles of rocks came to our window at the 27th floor ... so then we decided to get out of there .... I came outside and rocks came at me and I dashed out with the rocks falling on me," one man told us.
Heiko Thieme, an investment banker, had mud splattered on his face, pants and shoes. He said the explosion was like a volcano. "Everybody was a bit confused, everybody obviously thought of 9/11."
Subway Service Affected
4 service suspended from 86th Street to Bowling Green in both directions
6 service is suspended from 86th Street to Brooklyn Bridge in both directions
5 service is rerouted on the 2 line at Nevins Street to 149th Street
7 service is bypassing Grand Central
Shuttle is suspended
Street Closures
3rd Avenue closed from East 38th Street to East 42nd
Lexington Avenue is closed from East 57th
No cross-town traffic being allowed from East 56th to East 41st Street
East 42nd Street closed from Park Avenue to 3rd Avenue
Park Avenue is closed from East 54th to East 34th Street
Con Ed confirmed it shut off the steam to the pipe, and soon after that news you could see the plume of steam and mud begin to dissipate.
Millions of pounds of steam are pumped beneath New York City streets every hour, heating and cooling thousands of buildings, including the Empire State Building. The steam pipes are sometimes prone to rupture, however.
In 1989, a gigantic steam explosion ripped through a street, killing three people and sending mud and debris several stories into the air.That explosion was caused by a condition known as "water hammer," the result of condensation of water inside a steam pipe.
Stay with Eyewitness News and 7online.com for the latest.
Several hour old story now. See the past threads.
hmmff. Sorry about that. I did do a search.
Thanks, just heard the Mayor in a clip say it is a 1924 installed steam pipe.
Steam erupts from the site of an explosion at the intersection of Lexington Avenue and 41st street in New York, July 18, 2007. (Chip East/Reuters)
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Firefighters and police officers observe debris and steam rising from what is to believed to be a steam pipe explosion, Wednesday, July 18 , 2007, in New York. An underground steam pipe explosion tore through a Manhattan street near Grand Central Terminal on Wednesday during the evening rush hour, sending residents running for cover amid a towering geyser of steam. (AP Photo/ Louis Lanzano)
Several hours ago, I was at work. If ASA had not posted, I would not have seen it.
With 200 year old infrastructure you almost don’t even need terrorists...
You could have simply looked to the right in breaking news where two of the older threads were.
Thanks for posting that. I just got home too. Fox page with pix did not come up, so I was counting on FR for the REAL NEWS.
Unless you search for terms such as moose, cheese, or shower, FR's search tool is somewhat lacking.
Both Rush and Sean have room temperature intellects, but they at least have learned where to go to find breaking news and commentary.
Yes, it is a series defect, bordering on hugh.
Emergency personnel look over a truck that lies in a hole in the street after a steam explosion in midtown Manhattan, New York, Wednesday, July 18, 2007. (AP Photo/Seth Wenig)
Looks like my old school bus.
Anyone see the video? At first I though it was from the Master hypocrite, Al Gores obnoxious pie hole... But damn, that is some major hot air:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SImhkapRuIs
Thanks for this. I would not have seen it if you had not posted it. Many of us do not hang out here all day long reading everything.
We don`t need terrorists. The RINO`s, liberals and/or Clinton cultists in this liberal cesspool of the east coast do more damage than Al-Qaeda could ever hope for. And if you can believe it, right now there is a HUGE housing boom (pardon the pun) in NYC. They are literally building condos on almost every square block with a starting price of one million dollars for a one bedroom condo. The running joke is “Who are the absolute fools buying these”? Truly. Who is stupid enough to buy these condos? We have a mayor who thinks it`s OK for illegals to run amok and we are probably still the #1 terror target of Al-Qaeda. What fools are buying into this “greatest city in the world” crap. It`s NOT great! It`s a liberal hell on earth with 90% of the city unwatched.
Usually paying attention to the breaking news area is a good place to start when you do wander in.
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