A section of a 20-storey residential building partially collapsed in New York City on Wednesday morning, and authorities say there are no injuries.
Firefighters and emergency responders searched into the afternoon for anyone who may have been trapped under the mounds of rubble outside the building, which is part of a public housing development in the Bronx.
The whole building just - you heard a loud boom, and the thing just exploded, and it fell down just like that, said one witness who spoke with CBS News, BBC's US partner.
Another witness, who lives in a nearby building, reported that windows shook due to the blast, even on the 16th floor.
The collapse seems to have originated from an explosion in the ventilation shaft of a boiler room, the city's fire commissioner Robert Tucker said in a news conference.
No apartments were damaged, but as a precautionary measure, some residents have been evacuated. Others were allowed to return, but the gas to the building has been shut off as authorities investigate.
That investigation will determine whether a gas leak caused the explosion, Mayor Eric Adams said. Utility provider ConEd has not returned a request for comment from BBC.
The New York City Housing Authority, which manages the complex, stated that it is investigating the incident and still determining the extent of the damage, noting that the building has a few open violations against it.
The NYC Department of Buildings had issued a partial stop work order, which is still active, on the building in June, related to plumbing violations that may have been defective or poorly maintained.
There are two other associated violations, one involving the building's failure to file a report on facade safety and the other revealing unsafe conditions on the building's facade. Commissioner James Oddo pointed out that there are also non-safety issues concerning boilers currently open.
This incident comes shortly after a recent fire in the same building, which put a teenager in critical condition, although she is reportedly recovering now.
A local assembly member, Amanda Septimo, remarked on the incident, emphasizing the importance of ensuring safety measures, stating, But we can't be relying on luck to keep our community safe.
