Video starts at 5:30 p.m. ...
Thursday, March 26, 2015
Exclusive: Aerial footage showing the aftermath of today's East Village explosion
Video starts at 5:30 p.m. ...
Con Ed's statement on today's explosion on 2nd Avenue
[Photo by Peter Brownscombe]
Con Edison is working with fire officials and other agencies at the scene of today’s explosion and building collapse on 2nd Avenue near 7th Street in the East Village. Earlier today, Con Edison personnel were at the location to evaluate work the building plumber was doing inside 121 2nd Ave. in connection with a gas service upgrade. The work failed our inspection for several reasons, including insufficient spacing for the installation of the meter in the basement.
We had no reports of gas odors in the area prior to the fire and explosion. A survey conducted yesterday of the gas mains on the block found no leaks. We continue to work with all agencies on the investigation into the cause, and we are praying for the recovery of all the injured.
via the Con Ed website
Previously
On the scene: 121 and 123 2nd Ave. earlier today
We'll update the situation with today's explosion and fire at 121 and 123 Second Ave. as soon as more information is available… here are a few scenes of the FDNY, a group numbering more than 200 firefighters and 45 units earlier today...
Photos via EVG contributor Stacie Joy
'A very long night'
[Photo this afternoon by James & Karla Murray]
Coverage from Gothamist:
FDNY Commissioner Daniel Nigro said the call about the explosion came in at 3:17 p.m., and the FDNY had a three minute response time. "They were not expecting this scene," he said. "The first 15 minutes [firefighters] made extremely dangerous searches of these buildings." He said that 119 is a fully-involved fire, and still in danger of possible collapse.
"We will be here for a very long night," Nigro added.
#FDNY units arrived on-scene in East Village less than 3 minutes after receiving the call. pic.twitter.com/VCWHUuYq8s
— FDNY (@FDNY) March 26, 2015A statement about air quality
#FDNY members operating in the East Village. Read about air quality @nycHealthy http://t.co/jMiEAqgBGA pic.twitter.com/TmZOdNnwul
— FDNY (@FDNY) March 26, 2015Find the statement here
'Today our community's heart is breaking'
[Photo by Bobby Williams]
Statement from City Councilmember Rosie Mendez on today's explosion on Second Avenue:
"Today our community's heart is breaking. My thoughts and prayers are with those affected by this tragedy. I am working closely with emergency services, my colleagues in government and with community leaders to respond to this horrible event. I thank the people of New York for the outpouring of concern and support. We pray for the victims and their families."
[Updating] Explosion on 2nd Avenue and East 7th Street
Crazy explosion on 7 and 2nd east village #fire #explosion pic.twitter.com/U3Z4mx3Wut
— J K (@Jamie_S_Kennedy) March 26, 2015Just heard an explosion and my entire building shook!! #explosion #manhattan #eastvillage
— Tosha Ryan (@Tosha_Ryan) March 26, 2015There was just an explosion on 2nd avenue and 7th street east village pic.twitter.com/jvSbfdCSSe
— Jonathan (@jmeyers44) March 26, 2015
[Photo by Jonathan Jones]
3:29 p.m. FDNY says a building collapse at 125 Second Ave. (Officially it's 121 and 123 Second Ave.)
MAN 3-ALARM 125 2 AVE, MIXED OCCUPANCY MAJOR BUILDING COLLAPSE,
— FDNY (@FDNY) March 26, 20153:31 p.m. The scene from East Sixth Street between Second Avenue and Cooper Square
@evgrieve Building exploded. pic.twitter.com/ChTrXe2bRJ
— Liberation Iannillo (@liberationnyc) March 26, 2015123 Second Ave explosion. FDNY here. pic.twitter.com/fvpeeu6fhp
— Scott Westerfeld (@ScottWesterfeld) March 26, 2015Second Ave is closed to traffic from 9th Street all the way to Houston. Crowd control underway. No pedestrians allowed from 9th to 7th.
— Scott Westerfeld (@ScottWesterfeld) March 26, 20153:47 p.m.
U/D Manhattan: 125 2 Ave FDNY reporting 3 FireFighters missing. Search on the way 10-66 Transmitted. #FDNY #BREAKING pic.twitter.com/AftWTCRNCg
— NYC Scanner (@NYScanner) March 26, 2015125 2 Ave FDNY reporting 3 FireFighters missing. Search on the way 10-66 Transmitted. #FDNY #BREAKING pic.twitter.com/OjmROq5CXk @evgrieve
— urban myths, legends (@urbanmyths) March 26, 2015Building partially collapsed on 7th St and 2nd av #eastvillage @evgrieve pic.twitter.com/ogvrXa20hl
— Hansley Yunez (@hyunez) March 26, 20153:54 p.m.
Unreal! Those poor people. @tinman_131: 123 2nd ave Fire @evgrieve #eastvillage #fire #FDNY #NYC pic.twitter.com/tzn5jezwMr
— Liberation Iannillo (@liberationnyc) March 26, 20153:56 p.m. The Post reports that up to 30 people are injured. The FDNY is trying to contain the fires from spreading to more buildings on the west side of Second Avenue between East Seventh Street and St. Mark's Place...
4:04 p.m.
[Image via @brittanyTvisser]
4:13 p.m. Coverage from WABC-7...
The FDNY arrived on the scene to find a sushi restaurant on the lower level collapsed and smoke pluming throughout the building. Then flames began shooting through the roof and quickly spread to a neighboring building.
Firefighters were pouring water onto the flames, but they had to pull back due to the intensity, and fire officials expected one or both of the buildings would eventually fall.
[Photo via @mesh_mellow]
4:20 p.m. The scene now looking north on Second Avenue by peter radley...
The scene from East Fifth Street and Second Avenue...
4:22 p.m. The scene from East Seventh Street and First Avenue via John Iz...
4:33 p.m. The scene from East Seventh Street between First Avenue and Second Avenue via John Iz...
4:43 p.m.
In East Village, firefighters draw water from a block away. pic.twitter.com/InD683Exhh
— Stephen Nessen (@s_nessen) March 26, 2015LOOK: Aerial view of East Village explosion via @NYPDSpecialops; more coverage on @CBSNLive http://t.co/FRGD8IS3m1 pic.twitter.com/YtHXmSAEdx
— CBS News (@CBSNews) March 26, 2015#BREAKING: Aerial view of building collapse @NYPD9Pct. Numerous rescue units on scene #SOD #ESU #K9 #Aviation #FD pic.twitter.com/d9iX4GOBUd
— NYPD Special Ops (@NYPDSpecialops) March 26, 2015More from the NYPD Special Ops...
4:53 p.m.
@evgrieve from my roof now. pic.twitter.com/VN9hYYYh61
— EdenBrower (@edenbrower) March 26, 20154:55 p.m.
#RedCross is at the scene of the #EastVillage fire/collapse to support affected residents. #RCDAR
— NY Red Cross (@redcrossny) March 26, 2015#NYC get ready to help with clothes, etc and help the @RedCross as there were 20 apts.. People displaced, all is gone. Pray.
— Katie (@TalkerNewYorker) March 26, 20155:05 p.m. A reader just shared this video ... not sure of the exact time...
5:06 p.m. From The Wall Street Journal:
A preliminary investigation indicated the fire and building collapse was due to a gas explosion, the official said.
The scene created chaos in the East Village, a neighborhood filled with apartment buildings, restaurants and bars. Perry Kroll, who lives a block away, said he felt his whole building shake, and all of his neighbors spilled out into the street.
“There’s an epic smoke column rising from the block,” he said. “I can see really big flames everywhere and chunks of ash falling from the sky. It looks like a building just blew out into the street. It’s just absolute chaos.”
5:10 p.m.
5:13 p.m. From The Neighborhood School on East Third Street between Avenue A and First Avenue
Dear Families,
By now I am sure you've heard about the building collapse/fire in the Lower East Side. Our school will be used as a Red Cross Shelter for displaced families starting tonight. If you, or anyone you know needs any kind of assistance, please let me know.
5:20 p.m. The view now from 190 E. Seventh St. via John Iz...
5:23 p.m.
Video shows East Village building collapsing after explosion and intense fire. (courtesy of Daniel Berkowitz.) Watch updates LIVE on NY1: http://bit.ly/1ACyxrg
Posted by NY1 on Thursday, March 26, 2015
6:09 p.m.
The Red Cross is setting up at The Neighborhood School on East Third Street… we haven't heard anything about donations for those residents who lost their homes this afternoon…
[Photo by Yenta Laureate]
6:15 p.m.
Clarification from FDNY. blast inside 121 2nd ave. that five story building and 123 next door collapsed, damage to 119 and 125. #1010wins
— Al Jones (@aljoneswins) March 26, 20156:27 p.m. The Times has updated its story.
A powerful explosion in the East Village on Thursday caused two buildings to collapse and ignited a large fire that quickly spread to neighboring buildings, leaving at least a dozen people injured, at least three of them critically.
Mayor Bill de Blasio of New York, speaking at a news conference at the scene, said that “preliminary evidence suggests a gas-related explosion” was caused by plumbing and gas work being done at 121 Second Avenue, near Seventh Street.
The explosion and ensuing fire destroyed that building and led to the collapse of an adjacent building, 123 Second Avenue.
Two other buildings were damaged, and one of those buildings was still in danger of collapse, officials said.
The buildings that house Pommes Frites (No. 123) and Sushi Park (No. 121) have been destroyed.
[Photo via @nypost]
7:37 p.m.
This is my street right now #EastVillage pic.twitter.com/FGjDWOTLUP
— Julia (@juliabackon) March 26, 20157:47 p.m. Here is the full text of Mayor De Blasio's press conference earlier… as well as comments from other city officials...
Looks like No. 12 St. Mark's Place has a suitor
Last month, we spotted the above signs at 12 St. Mark's Place to entice any potential restaurateurs to give this space a try.
And it looks as if it worked: An applicant called Williamsburg Vegan Corp. is on the April CB3/SLA committee agenda for a full liquor license. At this point we don't know anything about the applicant (CB3 hasn't filed the questionnaire with more background just yet.)
Williamsburg Vegan Corp. was on the CB1 docket out in Brooklyn earlier this year for a space at 280 Bedford. (We'll see if any of our Brooklyn friends know more about this.)
Hanjoo, which opened here between Second Avenue and Third Avenue in October 2012, closed last month. Han Joo's owners have designs on a new space on East Sixth Street.
No. 12 has also been home to a number of bars-restaurants in recent years, including Hirai Mong, Gama, San Marcos, Siren and @Cafe.
Report: New York Attorney General now probing Cooper Union's finances
[EVG file photo]In case you missed this from The Wall Street Journal yesterday ... New York state Attorney General Eric Schneiderman is investigating the financial decisions that led Cooper Union officials to charge undergraduate tuition for the first time in its history.
To the article:
The probe includes a look at several decisions by Cooper Union’s past and present trustees, according to people familiar with the investigation. Among them: a $175 million loan, using the Chrysler building as collateral, to help finance more than $100 million in new Greenwich Village facilities, the people said.
Mr. Schneiderman’s office is also reviewing the terms of the school’s lease agreement at the Midtown skyscraper with real-estate company Tishman Speyer, a bonus that the board approved for former President George Campbell Jr. and potential inaccuracies about the board’s financial decisions on the school’s official website, the people said.
A Cooper Union spokesperson told the Journal that school officials are fully cooperating with Schneiderman's office.
In May 2013, a group of Cooper Union students occupied President Jamshed Bharucha's office for 65 days to protest the decision to start charging tuition.
Lan Cafe is closing at the end of April
You have until the end of next month to visit Lan Cafe, the cozy Vietnamese vegan restaurant at 342 E. Sixth St. between First Avenue and Second Avenue.
An EVG reader and Lan regular first told us about the coming closure at the end of April. A Nguyen family member confirmed it for us. The lease is up, and well — you know the rest. (Also, despite the posted 2 p.m. time during the week, Lan doesn't open until 5 p.m.)
And the list of recent East Village restaurant closings continue… as Lan joins Mitali East … Ginger … Pukk … Puebla Mexican Food … Benny's to go … Mercadito…
A storefront arrives on East 13th Street
[EVG photo from February]
As we pointed out earlier last month, there are approved plans on file to carve out a storefront at 444 E. 13th St. between Avenue A and First Avenue…
EVG reader Gamelan let us know that the carving is underway…
According to the listing, the "Landlord will present as a restaurant ready space." The asking rent is $10,000 a month.
And this will be one of the more minor changes coming to this block in the months/years ahead.
Previously on EV Grieve:
Tracking the coming changes to East 13th Street between Avenue A and 1st Avenue
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