- An apartment building on 116th and Park Avenue in East Harlem burst into flames shortly after 9am after residents reported smelling gas
- The building suspected of causing the explosion is at 1644-1646 Park Ave and houses a Spanish Christian Church on the first floor
- At least two fatalities have been reported with around 18 others injured
- Two victims are being treated for serious life-threatening injuries, five for serious non-life threatening injuries and 22 for minor injuries
- There were 15 units between the two demolished buildings
- A Red Cross shelter has been set up at nearby PS 176
- Nine to 12 others are feared missing
- More than 250 firefighters are on the scene battling the flames and digging through the debris searching for survivors
- One witness reported seeing residents in the building flying out when the blast hit
- Police say this is not a terrorist attack
Residents are feared trapped in rubble after two Manhattan apartment buildings were leveled in a gas-leak explosion in the East Harlem neighborhood this morning, killing two women and injuring at least 22 others.
Mayor Bill de Blasio confirmed that the explosion was caused by a gas leak, at an afternoon briefing.
The leak was reported to ConEdison at 9:13am and crews were dispatched two minutes later but by the time they arrived, the building on the corner of 116th and Park Avenue had already burst into flames.
The 22 injured are being treated at four area hospitals, with at least two of the victims suffering from serious life-threatening injuries. Nine to 12 others are missing, an NYPD source told the New York Daily News.
Firefighters battle the flames and billowing smoke after a powerful explosion in East Harlem, New York City on Wednesday morning
The devastating scene where two buildings collapsed shortly after a resident in an adjacent building called Con Edison to say she smelled gas
Firefighters work the scene of an explosion as flames leap up the towering heap of rubble
The NYPD help residents at the scene of the massive explosion in Harlem on Wednesday morning
An aerial view of the two collapsed buildings as firefighters search for survivors and battle to get the flames under control
Firefighters extinguish the fire at the site of an alleged powerful explosion in East Harlem, New York. The interior of the building is seen completely destroyed
The smoking rubble of the site of a suspected building collapse in Harlem, New York City on Wednesday
Rescue workers remove an injured person on a stretcher after an explosion and building collapse in the East Harlem neighborhood of New York
A man covers a child's face as he runs from a building near to the explosion in East Harlem on Wednesday morning
Rescue workers evacuate victims of NYC buildings collapse
The FDNY respond to a 5-alarm fire and building collapse at 1646 Park Ave in the Harlem neighborhood of Manhattan this morning
Uptown: The blast happened at a building on the corner of 116th and Park Avenue in Manhattan's East Harlem neighborhood
A man receives medical attention after an explosion that leveled two apartment buildings in the East Harlem neighborhood
The Metro-North line was suspended after debris from the building collapse fell on the line
Fire fighters rush a resident on a stretcher from the building in East Harlem today
Mayor Bill de Blasio, center, arrives to visit the site of an explosion that leveled two apartment buildings in the East Harlem neighborhood of New York City on Wednesday
Shocked residents and maintenance workers watch from the side lines of a building collapse in Harlem
Police and emergency crews at the scene in East Harlem where concerned family and friends gathered for news of those trapped inside
Mayor de Blasio called the incident 'a tragedy of the worst kind' because 'there was no warning in advance'.
Mr de Blasio's statements go against what many witnesses in the area have told local news stations - that an odor was noticeable in the days leading up to the blast this morning.
However, ConEd spokesman Elizabeth Matthews told PIX11 that the only complaint they have on file is the call that came in at 9:13am.
Matthews says they take odor complaints 'very seriously' and a crew was dispatched just two minutes after receiving the call.
Matthews says ConEd is working with firefighters and have the leak under control. She says residents in the area shouldn't worry about another blast.
A line of firefighters search through the tons of rubble for signs of life following the Harlem buildings' collapse
The FDNY head to the rubble from the building explosion to dig for survivors
The latest reports said that two people were dead and up to 20 injured following a suspected gas explosion which collapsed two buildings in Harlem
A victim is evacuated by emergency personnel wearing face masks as 20 people so far have been reported injured
Debris sits on roof during a five-alarm fire and building collapse at 1646 Park Ave in the Harlem neighborhood of Manhattan
Firefighters inspect a building collapse at 1646 Park Ave in the Harlem neighborhood of Manhattan today.
Reports of an explosion were heard before the collapse of two multiple-dwelling buildings that left one dead and at least 16 injured
Firefighters dig through the rubble and were bringing sniffer dogs to the scene to look for survivors in the two-building collapse
The FDNY uses a raised platform to scan the rubble for signs of survivors in the collapsed residential buildings
James DeJesus lives on the same block as the building that exploded, and took a dramatic photo that shows the damage after the blast.
DeJesus and his family live at 89 East 116th street and the blast was so strong, he first assumed the fire was in his building.
'We were all sleeping when it happened. I looked out my window and saw debris, smoke and people panicking and screaming,' DeJesus told MailOnline.
He says he and other residents had been smelling a faint gas odor in the days leading up to the explosion.
Rubble from the collapsed buildings seen from a home directly behind where the explosion happened this morning in Harlem
An NYPD officer at the scene of the Harlem building collapse wearing a gas mask
The five-story building is located at 1644-1646 Park Avenue and houses a Spanish Christian Church on the bottom floor.
Denise Ortiz was nearby when she heard the explosion, and described a terrifying scene to NBC 4.
'People who were living in the building, they flew out when the blast hit,' Ortiz said. 'It knocked everyone into the debris.'
She added that she initially worried the Metro North had been targeted in an attack.
'It sounded like a bomb went off,' she told NBC 4. 'Everyone started screaming, "They blew up the Metro North!" But when we ran over there , we saw a building had collapsed and it was not the Metro North.'
Police say the explosion was definitely not a terrorist attack.
Vehicles in the street were crushed with debris from the collapsed buildings as teams of FDNY reported to the scene
A gas leak is suspected in causing the building on the corner of 116th Street and Park Avenue to burst into flames
Two residential buildings collapsed in Harlem today with many people believed to be inside unaccounted for
Firefighters fight the flames and 1,000ft of billowing smoke from the devastating building collapse in New York City which left at least one person dead
Before: The owners of the Spanish Christian Church and a nearby beauty salon reported smelling a strange odor before the blast
Dramatic aerial views of Manhattan building collapse
Relatives of the building’s residents gathered in the streets below, pleading for help about their loved ones.
'My brother lives there, and I can't get through!' one unidentified woman sobbed as she spoke to NBC4. 'They're telling me I can't get through!'
'My daughter!' another cried as she put her hand to her mouth. 'I wanna know if she's down. Please help me - help me please!'
A woman who lives in a building just a block away says she was sleeping when she heard the explosion and the blast rocked her building.
'I was basically sleeping and my whole wall shook, my whole room was shaking and it basically blew my window up. It opened up,' the woman told PIX11. 'My lights and my stuff on my dresser fell off. I thought it was a bomb.'
Workers remove debris from the railway next to the site of an alleged explosion in East Harlem
Passersby cover their faces as they watch as rescue efforts continue after an explosion and building collapse in the East Harlem neighborhood of New York City
Witnesses said the explosion sounded like a bomb going off and rattled windows for blocks around
Witnesses said that people in the building 'flew out' during the explosion which took place on Wednesday morning
Firefighters battle a blaze at the site where the building collapsed in Harlem amid fears people may be trapped inside
Harlem building explosion: The view from the street
One witness said that the explosion knocked groceries off shelves at a nearby supermarket, while NBC4's Jonathan Vigliotti reported from the scene that numerous stores had had their windows blown out.
'There are about 10 store fronts, half of them have their windows blown out,' he said. 'It's really hard to even see through [the smoke]. The entire area Cops everywhere, fire fighters everywhere.'
Another witness told NBC4 that she saw people running towards the building to help anyone who was hurt.
'It was chaos,' she said.
Fire trucks surround the scene with raised ladders allowing crews to look for victims in the devastating collapse
Rail workers check the Metro North tracks which felt the impact of the adjacent buildings' collapse in Harlem
Firefighters battle a blaze at the site of a possible explosion and building collapse in the East Harlem neighborhood of New York City today
Firefighters battle a blaze at the site of a possible explosion and building collapse in the East Harlem neighborhood of New York on Wednesday
A firefighter stands in smoke-filled East 116th street close to where buildings collapsed and a fire was raging in Harlem, New York City
Cellphone video of building explosion killing at least two
Metro-North Railway has elevated tracks right next to the west of the building, and the New Haven line in and out of the city through Grand Central Terminal have been temporarily suspended.
Passengers reported being ordered off the train and onto the platform at the nearby 125th Street station.
Metro-North is advising passengers leaving the city this evening to take a subway to the Bronx and board a train north of the incident area.
The smoke was so thick that reporters covering the explosion from news helicopters were at one point ordered out of the area.
FBI officials are on the scene investigating the blast.
Firefighters battle the blaze in East Harlem where it is suspected that two residential properties collapsed
Local people were evacuated from the surrounding streets where two buildings collapsed in Harlem, north of Central Park. Flames can be seen leaping from the rubble
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