VIDEO: Explosion, Fire and Building Collapse at 2nd Ave and 7th St, East Village, Lower Manhattan, New York


Pre-arrival video after explosion that caused a partial collapse, fire and then complete collapse of a building at the northwest corner of East 7th Street and 2nd Avenue in New York Thursday afternoon.

FDNY firefighters responded to a report of a building explosion at 125 2nd Ave. near St. Mark’s Place about 3:20 p.m., officials said. The fire operation was elevated to a 7-Alarm fire by 4:15 p.m. ET.

At least two buildings are directly affected. One of the buildings includes a boutique called Enz’s with apartments above the first floor. Early reports have stated that as many have 30 people were injured and transported to area hospitals. A fire department report at 4:39 p.m. ET stated that 3 people were critically injured, and at least a total of 12 people were injured. People were seen running from the building with torn clothes and injuries that caused bleeding. Some patients have been transported to Bellevue Hospital. Two patients have been transported to a burn center.


Pre-arrival video that starts seconds after the explosion shows a man in a dark shirt go up a fire escape ladder to the third floor to help a woman down. Next a man in a light-gray hoodie climbs up the fire escape ladder to upper floors to search for victims.

Pre-arrival video that starts seconds after the explosion shows a man in a dark shirt go up a fire escape ladder to the third floor to help a woman down. Next a man in a light-gray hoodie climbs up the fire escape ladder to search for victims on the third, fourth and fifth floors, where no additional victims were found. As he descends, the front face of the building becomes filled with smoke, and he barely makes it down before it would have been impossible to breath and get down. The time elapsed is about 4mins 50secs before the fire escape is entirely covered with smoke.

The video also shows the arrival of FDNY Engine 33, Truck 9, Engine 5, Engine 15, an unknown Tower Ladder, and two police units. Additionally, the video shows Truck 9’s main aerial being raised at Side A, and the initial exterior hose line attack from Engine 33’s crew.


Surveillance video from a business across the street shows the actual explosion (1:04/2:01) that destroyed a restaurant and apartment building in East Village, Lower Manhattan, New York.


An explosion caused a partial collapse, fire and then complete collapse of a building at the northwest corner of East 7th Street and 2nd Avenue in New York Thursday afternoon.

Flames have spread to the south of the main fire building, which totally collapsed about 4:00 p.m. ET. Pommes Frites is located at or near the collapsed building.

A witness on WABC reported live at about 4:06 p.m. ET that a man went into the bathroom at a restaurant and then ran out of the building. However, the initial thoughts of investigators on the cause of the explosion are focused on the Sushi Park restaurant. Several other witnesses reported a “strong smell of gas” before the explosion.


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Part 1/2 of the recording of the 10-60 7th Alarm box 0436, that occurred on 03/26/15 in Manhattan, New York.


Building explosion and fire believed to be caused by a gas leak during plumbing work that was going on inside 121 2nd Avenue.



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