"Can you go to East Harlem to photograph an explosion?," an editor asked, not long after I arrived at our Midtown Manhattan office. A massive blast, believed to be due to a gas leak, leveled two apartment buildings on Wednesday morning, killing three people and injuring nearly 70 others. The explosion, which could be felt from more than a mile away, blew out windows on surrounding buildings and sent debris tumbling down onto nearby streets.
I grabbed my photo gear and took off for East Harlem with a fellow colleague who was covering the collapse.
See also: 3 Dead, 69 Injured After Buildings Collapse in NYC
We took a cab up to 114th Street and Lexington Avenue and arrived around 10 a.m. — a half an hour after the buildings at 1646 Park Avenue had collapsed. Upon exiting the cab, we were hit with the smell of sulfur and smoke. At first it was hard to breathe, so I used a scarf to cover my mouth and filter the air. There were hundreds of people standing around, some taking photos with their phones, others talking with the media. Many appeared to live in the area. They stood around nervously, some with tears in their eyes.
Police had set up a tight perimeter around the site of the explosion, some two to three blocks in each direction. Officers were milling about, directing bystanders away from the area. Fire engines were squeezing through the crowded and congested streets. The air was filled with a white, dusty haze, which meant not much was visible from outside the police perimeter.
The only sounds were a handful of sirens and a constant jack-hammering noise bouncing off the buildings. Many of the cars parked on the west side of 115th Street were covered in a chalky dust: one even had some bricks smashed into the window.
A building across the street from the collapse, on the southwest corner of 116th and Park, looked like it might have a good view of the collapse in its entirety. After some careful negotiating, I found my way onto its fire escape. Climbing onto the roof and peering out over the edge, I was immediately overwhelmed by what I saw. Dozens of firefighters were working on containing the fire that had been sparked by the explosion, some on hydraulic cranes, others on the roofs of adjacent buildings. Most were wearing gas masks to protect them from the choking smoke.
Sidewalks on surrounding streets were covered in shattered glass, wood shards and pieces of broken brick. Portions of the elevated Metro North train tracks across the street were covered in debris. Layers of rubble, plaster and drywall filled the streets immediately in front of the collapsed buildings, making it difficult for responders to walk around.
Where the apartments had been, including the church and a piano repair shop on their ground floors, nothing was left but a pile of bricks.
Below are photos from the scene.
A general view on the corner of 116th and Park Ave in Harlem where the building collapse took place around 9:30 am this morning.
Firefighters respond to an explosion that leveled two apartment buildings in the East Harlem neighborhood of New York.
Walking towards the building collapse at 116th and Park Avenue in Harlem, smoke filled the streets.
Con Edison crew members trying to reach gas pipes underground.
Debris covers the Metro North rail line across the street from the two building collapse.
Multiple outlets are reporting that at least two people are dead after two buildings collapsed in East Harlem.
Smoke could be seem from blocks away and the smell of smoke and sulfur filled the air.
The roads were shut down three blocks in each direction, with only police officers and fire fighters allowed through.
A witness to the collapse talks to a journalist about his experience. Many people who were in the area said it felt like an earthquake.
Glass store fronts were blown out a few doors down from the collapse.
Many fireman, policeman and first responders were wearing face masks in order to protect themselves from the choking smoke that filled the air.
The Metro North Hudson Line has been shut down until the debris is removed and the area is deemed safe.
The building adjacent to the collapse is strewn with debris- wood, glass and clothes can be seen in the piles.
Crowds outside of the blocked off streets near the collapse. Many lived in the area and were wondering when they would be able to go back home.
Police scan the Metro North rail line.
Many people in the area were taking their own photos with cellphones and tablets.
Brick, dust and wood fill 116th street, making it difficult to walk around.
Con Edison crews work to try and reach a main gas line in order to shut off power to the area.
The press waits on the corner of 114th street and Park Avenue for a media briefing.
Three hours after the collapse, fire crews are still dousing the site with water, trying to contain the blaze.
The smoke from the collapse can be seen from blocks away.
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