Part of a 17-story New York City apartment building collapsed Wednesday after what officials believe was a gas explosion.
No injuries were reported in the incident at a New York City Housing Authority Mitchel Houses building located on Alexander Avenue in the Mott Haven section of the Bronx, according to WABC-TV.
Drones and dogs were being used to search for anyone who might have been injured by falling debris. The building is located across the street from a school.
The building was evacuated after the explosion, which took place at about 8 a.m..
It was not clear early Wednesday if tenants would be able to return to their apartments.
????????????BREAKING: GAS EXPLOSION TRIGGERS BUILDING COLLAPSE IN NYC
Authorities confirm a partial collapse at 205 Alexander Ave in Mott Haven in the Bronx after a reported gas explosion.
Firefighters are clearing debris and searching the building with K-9 units, drones, and… pic.twitter.com/HnMpkX4m4j
— Mario Nawfal (@MarioNawfal) October 1, 2025
News 12 The Bronx reported that the part of the building that collapsed was the towering structure’s incinerator shaft.
The outlet reported that it was told by building residents that the boiler and a section of the building where pipes run from it were damaged in the explosion.
The FDNY is responding to a partial building collapse at 207 Alexander Avenue in the Bronx. pic.twitter.com/Gxuf1re87u
— FDNY (@FDNY) October 1, 2025
Residents said that the smell of gas has been prevalent in recent days.
“Today is very strong,” one resident said. “I feel so scared. I don’t want to live there anymore, because we have a lot of complaints. But they don’t pay mind.”
Witness Diamond Freeman said she heard a “big boom,” according to WPIX-TV.
“When you looked out, the whole building just went boom, it fell. Then you heard another boom, and all the side of the building just fell. It was crazy. All you see is smoke,” she said.
Huge chunk of Bronx building plummets to streets after gas explosion, miraculously not injuring anyone https://t.co/QwRlkWCCyb pic.twitter.com/MgkWFwXpgo
— New York Post (@nypost) October 1, 2025
A week before the incident, a fire in the same building erupted, leaving a teen-age girl in critical condition.
The explosion sent bricks raining down on the street and nearby buildings.
Water was bubbling up from the ground, indicating that sub-surface pipes may have been damaged by falling debris, WABC reported.
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