New York building collapses, burns - apparent failed suicide attempt

[helderheid]

http://www.cnn.com/2006/US/07/10/building.collapse

Eleven injured; gas explosion appears to be cause

Monday, July 10, 2006; Posted: 12:26 p.m. EDT (16:26 GMT)

NEW YORK (CNN) -- An explosion and fire leveled a residential building on New York's Upper East Side Monday morning, fire officials told CNN. Eleven people were injured.

The cause appeared to be a gas explosion, New York Fire Commissioner Nicholas Scoppetta told CNN.

Firefighters rescued a man identified as Nicholas Bartha, believed to be the building's owner. Scoppetta said his injuries were serious but he appeared to be alert.

MORE

http://www.cnn.com/2006/US/07/10/building.collapse

[helderheid]

1. googling this guy's name - he donated to *, not that that matters.

[helderheid]

2. Another picture - any Manhatten DUers here?

[helderheid]

3. More on the "suicide attempt"

Scoppetta said someone in the building sent an e-mail to a person in the neighborhood that "leads us to believe this may have been a suicide attempt."

A police official told The Associated Press that the lawyer for Bartha's wife contacted police recently and said that she had received an e-mail from him in which the physician indicated he was contemplating suicide.

He was going through a difficult divorce and was being forced to sell the building, and authorities believe the explosion may be related to a suicide attempt, the police official told the AP, speaking on condition of anonymity because the investigation is ongoing.

[malaise]

4. Dr. Nicholas Bartha

Isn't he linked to Healthgrades. Is this the same HealthGrades that put out the report on negligible medical care?
http://www.healthgrades.com/directory_search/Physician/Profiles/Emergency-Medicine/alphas10.cfm

<snip>
A new study by Health Grades released in April 2006, reports that 250,246 Medicare patients were killed by potentially preventable medical errors in hospitals over a three year period. In a previous report, Health Grades estimated that within the entire patient population, not just Medicare patients, there were 575,000 preventable deaths caused by medical errors over a three year period. This report on negligent medical care is particularly troubling in light of the plan of Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist to bring to the Senate floor a draconian medical malpractice bill that would do nothing to reduce the incidents of medical negligence and patient injuries and death. Rather, this bill would drastically limit compensations for victims, particularly those most seriously injured and strip them of their rights to hold negligent doctors and corporations accountable. Senator Frist, whose family owns a chain of hospitals and an insurance company, has proposed a plan that would put all American's at greater risk of injury and death by reducing incentives to improve patient safety and making it harder to bring even the most meritorious of medical malpractice cases.

http://roanoke.injuryboard.com/medical-malpractice/

I get very nervous these days when the word 'suicide' is used before investigations. Why are they trashing this man before there are investigations.

[helderheid]

5. Well, apparently he sent an email to his wife but who knows.

[bleedingheart]

6. this would rank among the dumbest ways to commit suicide

but then again...people suffering from severe depression aren't very rational.

I just hope no one is hurt seriously or dead.

If it was a suicide and the person failed....he/she will wish they hadn't because the legal system isn't too keen on "reckless endangerment"

[helderheid]

7. They're saying he had attempted to gas himself to death, not to

blow up the building. Something went wrong. It's amazing that no one died!!

[bleedingheart]

8. it is truly amazing that no one died...but using gas as a way to kill

oneself is dangerous to others...especially in an apartment building.

The simple act of turning on a switch can cause the gas to ignite.

[helderheid]

9. this is true. Thank goodness he was the only one there. If he thought

he had problems before...

[DoYouEverWonder]

10. Looks like

he blew it.

(Pun intended)

[helderheid]

15. He has a history of bad judgement - check post 1

[bryant69]

11. We can't prove that this guy wasn't targetted by the Bush Administration

I mean he was sending an e-mail? How do we know what this e-mail says? Maybe it was definative proof!

Bryant
Check it out --> http://politicalcomment.blogspot.com

[NYCGirl]

12. Not everything in the world is linked to the Bush adminstration. NT

[helderheid]

13. could you see the smoke from where you are?

[NYCGirl]

14. No, I'm in my office on 22nd and Park and our windows face downtown. NT