2014 East Harlem gas explosion

2014 East Harlem gas explosion
An elevated view of the fire following the explosion, with a plume of smoke, fire department trucks with ladders extended, and firefighters hosing water from the ladder buckets and from the street. The elevated railroad is in front of the scene.
DateMarch 12, 2014; 10 years ago (2014-03-12)
Time9:31 am.[1]
Location116th Street and Park Avenue, East Harlem, Manhattan, New York City
Coordinates40°47′59″N 73°56′36″W / 40.79972°N 73.94333°W / 40.79972; -73.94333
CauseGas leak[2]
Deaths8[3]
Non-fatal injuries70+[1]
Property damageCollapse of buildings located at 1644 and 1646 Park Avenue[2]

On March 12, 2014, an explosion occurred at 9:31 a.m.[1] in the East Harlem neighborhood of Manhattan in New York City, United States. The explosion leveled two apartment buildings located just north of 116th Street at 1644 and 1646 Park Avenue,[2] killing eight people, injuring at least 70 others, and displacing 100 families.[1][4][5][6] City officials initially pointed to a gas leak as the cause of the blast.[2][7] In June 2015, the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) blamed the explosion on failures by Consolidated Edison and the city. The NTSB also agreed to review Whistleblower Gas Explosion Audit Findings from the 2009 Floral Park Queens gas explosion as part of their East Harlem Gas Explosion Investigation. The NTSB were unable to resolve these hazards found with merit by the New York State Public Service Commission (NYSPSC) and they remain a Public Safety Hazard today.[8]

  1. ^ a b c d "3 Dead, Several Missing After Explosion Levels Buildings in East Harlem". CBS New York. March 12, 2014. Archived from the original on March 13, 2014. Retrieved April 17, 2022.
  2. ^ a b c d "At Least 3 Killed as Gas Explosion Hits East Harlem". The New York Times. March 12, 2014. Archived from the original on March 7, 2022. Retrieved February 26, 2017.
  3. ^ Santora, Marc; Nate Schweber (March 13, 2014). "Rescue Effort in East Harlem Yields Only More Victims". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Archived from the original on March 13, 2014. Retrieved March 13, 2014.
  4. ^ National Transportation Safety Board (June 9, 2015). "Natural Gas-Fueled Building Explosion and Resulting Fire" (PDF). Washington, D.C. Archived from the original on April 23, 2016. Retrieved April 17, 2022.
  5. ^ "Officials: All Missing Persons Likely Accounted for in East Harlem Explosion". NY1. March 15, 2014. Archived from the original on March 15, 2014.
  6. ^ Cite error: The named reference Times - 3-14-14 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  7. ^ Sanchez, Ray (March 14, 2014). "Amid search for missing in NYC blast, loved ones, friends reflect on those killed". CNN. Archived from the original on March 24, 2021. Retrieved April 17, 2022.
  8. ^ McGeehan, Patrick (June 9, 2015). "Con Edison and New York City Are Faulted in East Harlem Explosion". The New York Times. Archived from the original on April 11, 2021.