Gas explosion causes partial collapse of high-rise apartment building in NYC, no injuries reported

NEW YORK — A gas explosion in an apartment building in the Bronx caused a partial collapse Wednesday morning, leaving a corner of the building a pile of rubble.

City police said they received 911 calls about a building collapse just after 8 a.m. Wednesday at the Mitchel Houses building.

“Upon arrival, officers observed a partial building collapse,” police said in a statement.

The city’s fire department said it had no immediate reports of injuries. It said it was responding to a report of a gas explosion that collapsed an incinerator shaft in the building in the Bronx.

The rest of the building appeared to be stable with no apartments affected, but that was being investigated by the Department of Buildings.

The building is city-owned public housing. Multiple messages seeking comment were left with the Housing Authority.

Video from the scene shows a high-rise with one corner collapsed from the ground floor to the roof. Videos by nearby residents showed a cloud of dust billowing over the block moments after the collapse.

Mayor Eric Adams said he was briefed about the emergency and officials were still getting a full assessment. “Please avoid the area for your safety,” he wrote on X.

Incinerator shafts in New York City buildings were once used to dispose of trash, which was then burned on site. But they have largely been replaced with trash compactors, which can use the same chutes.

In July 2023, a towering construction crane caught fire high above the West Side of Manhattan, causing its long arm to snap off, smash against a nearby building and plummet to the street as people ran for their lives on the sidewalk below. Several people suffered minor injuries in the collapse, but no one died.

The Associated Press and WABC contributed to this report.