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Firefighter Killed in Explosion After Reports of Gas Leak in the Bronx | Firefighter Killed in Explosion After Reports of Gas Leak in the Bronx |
(about 1 hour later) | |
One firefighter was killed and at least nine other people were injured in an explosion that destroyed a residential building and damaged others in the Bronx early on Tuesday, New York City officials said. | |
The firefighter was one of several emergency workers responding to a report of a gas leak at the building in the Kingsbridge neighborhood, which the authorities were called to investigate around 6:20 a.m. | |
After firefighters arrived at the building, on West 234th Street, they saw what they thought might be materials used in drug production in the house and called the police, officials said. | |
Around 7:30 a.m., there was an explosion, a spokesman for the Fire Department said. By that time, about 20 members of the department were on the scene, the spokesman said. | |
The death of the firefighter, who was not immediately identified, is the first in the line of duty for the Fire Department since 2014, according to the Uniformed Firefighters Association of Greater New York. | |
Images on Tuesday showed the two-story dwelling reduced largely to rubble, a pile of splintered wood and bricks that spilled onto the cars parked in front of it. | |
Among the injured were seven members of the Police Department, a spokesman said. All were taken to hospitals with minor injuries, he said, adding that a civilian and another firefighter were also injured. | |
Jennifer Mullane, who lives a couple of blocks away from the site, said she was in her kitchen washing dishes when a loud boom shook her building. | |
“It felt like it was literally across the street,” Ms. Mullane said. “There was smoke and ashes floating down, like burnt paper.” | |
David Khabinsky, 25, a photographer who also lives nearby, said he was getting ready for work when he heard the explosion. | |
“I thought it was very loud,” he said. “Then five minutes later you hear police sirens, and then helicopter after helicopter after helicopter.” | “I thought it was very loud,” he said. “Then five minutes later you hear police sirens, and then helicopter after helicopter after helicopter.” |