AP bulletin reports explosion in midtown Manhattan

[librechik]

Source: AP bulletin

building collapse reported near explosion, crowds fleeing scene

on edit, ABC News reprts transformer explosion


More on edit including link:

http://www.wnbc.com/news/13708385/detail.html

No, it's a steam pipe exploding.

Grand Central Station being evacuated?

There are too many versions of this story.

No link yet.

[aquart]

1. Transformer explosion.

[muriel_volestrangler]

2. Just read out on BBC news too

no more details, I'm afraid.

[slackmaster]

3. Dry cleaning bags filled with marsh gas

Or maybe "Controlled Demolition".

:hide:

Tagged.

[Snazzy]

4. radio says underground

transformer near grandcentral

[Snazzy]

9. 4 alarm "manhole explosion" per (ugh) fox local

43rd and lex

also heard 41st and lex...

[Lost-in-FL]

5. Chertoff's "gut sense" is good!!!

:sarcasm:

[DBoon]

12. How? Did he just pass gas?

THAT would take down a building for sure

[librechik]

6. More from Reuters

BC-NEWYORK-EXPLOSION/ 07-18 0000
BC-NEWYORK-EXPLOSION/ (URGENT)
Explosion rocks midtown Manhattan
NEW YORK (Reuters) - An explosion rocked midtown
Manhattan Wednesday, creating a huge plume of smoke and
sending pedestrians fleeing from the scene, a Reuters
eyewitness said.
New York City police said the explosion did not look
suspicious and ABC-TV reported that it was as a transformer
explosion.
REUTERS

[Renew Deal]

7. I work in midtown near Times Square

In a tall building. I don't see anything around here, so I don't think it was that huge.

[maddezmom]

8. MSNBC said there now is a 4 alarm fire due to the explosion

[C_U_L8R]

14. Transformer explosions can be pretty nasty

Last one at the East Village power plant scared the bejeebsus outta everyone.
Thick black smoke everywhere.

From downtown viewpoint, this one looks like a massive steam pipe's been broken.

[RevolutionStartsNow]

10. My brother just emailed me, he was there, getting on a train

seems like a transformer exploded. He just said he's fine, no other details.

[lurky]

11. Link to nytimes:

cityroom.blogs.nytimes.com/2007/07/18/buildings-evacuated-after-midtown-explosion/

[Ian David]

13. I KNEW it...

[ChazII]

34. At least someone

is keeping their sense of humor. Thanks for the smile.

[librechik]

15. "Police say no building collapse, but one building is SHAKY"

Thank you NYPD

[althecat]

16. NEWSFLASH: Transformer Explosion In Manhattan

Source: Scoop Independent News

There is confusion and a little chaos in the streets of Manhattan, New York, following an reported transformer explosion somewhere near 41st Street. Details are sketchy at this stage though initial reports from officials say the explosion is not terrorist related.

See…
http://www.ny1.com/ny1/content/index.jsp?stid=1&aid=71803

& for a video
http://av.fark.com/media/2585510166_ORIG.mov

The following image of smoke around the Chrysler Building was taken minutes ago by Nicholas Loscalzo.





Read more: http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/HL0707/S00266.htm

---

(NOTE TO MODS: I am the publisher of Scoop.co.nz and give my permission for this item to be used in its entireity.)

[Renew Deal]

17. More video

http://abclocal.go.com/wabc/story?section=local_enterprise&id=5489626

[applegrove]

18. When those things blow they sound like a gun going off. Very scary.

[CreekDog]

19. Have to watch those things

They are more than meets the eye, robots in disguise

Creepy. Stay tuned.

[Viva_La_Revolution]

33. you rock.

that was quick.

:applause:

[ronnykmarshall]

20. Traffic has got to be a mess

Ch 7 said they shutdown one of the subway lines (can't remember which train) from 86th to the Brooklyn bridge.

[Renew Deal]

22. 3rd ave. is a very direct way to get to the 59th St. Bridge.

And 2nd ave to the Midtown tunnel. It's going to be a traffic mess.

[Penance]

32. Mess is an understatement

I don't know how far up they blocked off the traffic, but it's blocked down to 38th on Lex, Park and 3rd. As of about 7:30 there is still a huge plume of smoke coming from what looked (from 38th) to be the Grand Hayatt.

The line that is closed is the 4/5/6, although the 7 runs under GCT too.

[Renew Deal]

21. Guy from ABC says: "The steam might be toxic" and then he says

"Stacy, can you smell anything?"

:rofl:

[aquart]

23. One reporter says it smells like sulfur.

[Ian David]

25. The devil came here

"And it smells of sulfur still today," Chavez said. "Yesterday, ladies and gentlemen, from this rostrum -- the president of the United States, the gentleman whom I refer to as 'the devil' -- came here, talking as if he owned the world."

[conspirator]

35. aliens also smell like sulfur. Maybe bush is a reptilian alien devil n/t

[otherlander]

41. We do not smell like sulfur at all!

And far from being one of us, the devil is a creation of the most deeply human fears of all.

Bush isn't an alien. Trust me, we know our own.

[Renew Deal]

28. I heard that.

That means it's either a volcano or a bomb. I have a feeling he smells sewage.

[aquart]

37. Grow up. We had a violent rainstorm.

It was so bad LIRR service was suspended.

Cold water from that rain, which caused floods in all boroughs, got to the steam pipe. Boom.

Sewage does NOT smell like sulfur.

[Renew Deal]

44. Get a clue

I ride the LIRR every day and I work in midtown, and that day was no different. I have also visited 3 volcano's. Steam does not smell like sulfur. It was extremely unlikely the person smelled sulfur. I don't think the person knew what they smelled. If they smelled anything that reminded them of sulfur (which I doubt the person could recognize), it would be sewage.

[Ian David]

24. As usual, some media are getting a lot of stuff wrong (Thanks, Australian media. Geesh!)

Blast destroys NY building
Breaking news: AN explosion in New York has caused a 10-storey building to collapse in midtown Manhattan this morning - but officials say the blast is not terrorist related.
http://www.news.com.au/adelaidenow/story/0,22606,22097591-5006301,00.html

Explosion rocks Manhattan, building 'shaky'
http://www.news.com.au/couriermail/story/0,23739,22097571-5012762,00.html


Manhole Explosion Causes Scare In NYC
CBS News, NY - 18 minutes ago
They believe it was a transformer explosion. There are no reports of injuries yet. This is now four alarm and there's quite a lot of activity in midtown ...
http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2007/07/18/national/main3072634.shtml

[Up2Late]

39. Blast destroys NY building??? Nice, NO Rupert, it did not. Reuters has video at this link...

Blast blows out big section of Lexington Ave and F*cks up Red Pick-up Truck...

<http://www.reuters.com/news/video/videoStory?videoId=61072>

Explosion rocks Manhattan

(00:39) Report

Jul 18 - A steam pipe exploded in midtown Manhattan during the evening rush hour, creating towering geysers of steam and mud.

Homeland Security officials said there was no indication that the blast was related to terrorism.

<http://www.reuters.com/news/video/videoStory?videoId=61072>

[Ian David]

26. More photos

http://edition.cnn.com/2007/US/07/18/new.york.explosion/


http://abcnews.go.com/US/wireStory?id=3391660



http://www.wtopnews.com/index.php?nid=104&sid=1193220


http://www.cnn.com/2007/US/07/18/new.york.explosion/?iref=mpstoryview

[Davis_X_Machina]

27. Infrastructure aging...

...and maintenance deferred, will out in the end.

Same story everywhere -- bridges, water treatment, water supply, electric grid.

All to fatten a bottom line somewhere.

[Cassandra]

42. Not aging but physics.

Cold water plus steam pipe go BOOM! There are older pipes in the city than that one.

[Ian David]

29. Just got word of 7 injuries and 1 death. Trying to confirm now. n/t

[slackmaster]

30. No, a crowd collapsed near an evacuating steam pipe in a building

:crazy:

[Ian David]

31. Live stream from 1010WINS News Radio, New York

http://www.1010wins.com/#

[Ian David]

36. 1 reported fatality due 2cardiac arrest. 3-4 firefighters treated at scene. 20-odd civilians injured

24 inch steam pipe installed in 1924 exploded.

[Up2Late]

38. NO! It's a 24 inch Steam Pipe under Lexington Ave & 41st Street...

Explosion rocks Manhattan

Wed Jul 18, 2007 9:35pm ET148

By Claudia Parsons and John Doran

NEW YORK (Reuters) - An 83-year-old steam pipe exploded underground in midtown Manhattan on Wednesday, shaking buildings, creating a towering geyser of debris and sending people fleeing in scenes reminiscent of the September 11 attacks.

Officials in New York and Washington promptly ruled out terrorism. One person died of cardiac arrest and about 20 others were injured, some seriously, Mayor Michael Bloomberg said at a news conference.

Boiling, brownish water and steam gushed geyser-like at least 120 feet high out of a crater about 20 feet wide on Lexington Avenue at 41st Street, one of the busiest areas of New York City near the Grand Central transportation hub....

...Rescue workers and others covered in soot and mud were being decontaminated at the scene by hazardous materials specialists. "The big fear that we have is there may or may not have been asbestos released," Bloomberg said.... (more at link)

<http://today.reuters.com/news/articlenews.aspx?type=topNews&storyID=2007-07-19T015446Z_01_N18418871_RTRUKOC_0_US-NEWYORK-EXPLOSION.xml&WTmodLoc=NewsArt-L3-Top+NewsNews-2>

[regnaD kciN]

40. Oh my God, it's terra. It has to be terra...

Help, Daddy George!!! Do whatever you want, but save us from the big scary booms!!!

:sarcasm:

[mogster]

43. Norw. media are in Sept. 11 mode

Link (NO):
http://www.dagbladet.no/nyheter/2007/07/19/506605.html