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| Two dead as New York City building collapses after blast | |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| Two women have died after an explosion in an apartment building that then collapsed in East Harlem, New York City, police say. | |
| Seventeen others were injured in the incident, which sent smoke billowing into the city sky. | |
| Residents heard a blast in the five-storey building at 116th Street and Park Avenue before it caved in. | Residents heard a blast in the five-storey building at 116th Street and Park Avenue before it caved in. |
| All train services in and out of Grand Central terminal have been halted following the incident near its tracks. | All train services in and out of Grand Central terminal have been halted following the incident near its tracks. |
| 'Gas smell' | 'Gas smell' |
| The New York fire department has elevated the incident to the highest threat level possible. | |
| It announced it has dispatched 198 members from more than three dozen nearby fire stations to battle the blaze. | |
| A utility company says a resident in a nearby building reported smelling gas shortly before the explosion on Wednesday morning. | |
| Streets and pavements around the site were littered with broken glass from shattered windows. | |
| Witnesses reported the powerful blast knocked items off shelves in nearby stores. | |
| Authorities in the area were said to be handing out medical masks to residents due to the thick white smoke at the scene. | |
| A witness told the BBC "there was just a lot of panic" following the explosion. | A witness told the BBC "there was just a lot of panic" following the explosion. |
| Dan Scarvino had just emerged on to a nearby train platform when "suddenly a plume of smoke came out of nowhere". | Dan Scarvino had just emerged on to a nearby train platform when "suddenly a plume of smoke came out of nowhere". |
| "I've never seen anything like it," he added. | "I've never seen anything like it," he added. |
| A witness told the New York Daily News she had smelled gas "for weeks" before the explosion. | A witness told the New York Daily News she had smelled gas "for weeks" before the explosion. |
| "We saw people flying out of the window... those are my neighbours," Ashley Rivera said. | "We saw people flying out of the window... those are my neighbours," Ashley Rivera said. |
| Another witness told the newspaper he heard two loud explosions that shook the barber shop where he works. | Another witness told the newspaper he heard two loud explosions that shook the barber shop where he works. |
| "It was loud, like boom, boom!" Mitch Abreu said. "It rocked the whole block. | "It was loud, like boom, boom!" Mitch Abreu said. "It rocked the whole block. |
| "A window blew out of the other shop down the street," he added. | "A window blew out of the other shop down the street," he added. |
| "It looked like the [Twin] Towers all over again. People covered in dust and covering their mouths." | "It looked like the [Twin] Towers all over again. People covered in dust and covering their mouths." |
| Send your pictures and videos to yourpics@bbc.co.uk or text them to 61124 (UK) or +44 7624 800 100 (International). If you have a large file you can upload here. | Send your pictures and videos to yourpics@bbc.co.uk or text them to 61124 (UK) or +44 7624 800 100 (International). If you have a large file you can upload here. |
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