Overview
- Firefighters arrived just before 12:30 a.m. to find flames on the upper stories and residents calling for help at windows.
- FDNY Chief John Esposito said the blast occurred as crews probed a gas odor on floors 15 and 16, causing major damage to about a dozen apartments and fires in 10 units on floors 16 and 17.
- Authorities reported one person dead, one critically injured, five seriously hurt and eight with minor injuries, with more than 200 responders working in freezing conditions.
- City officials said the tower was under renovation and that recent gas work had been completed and inspected, as the cause remains under investigation.
- A nearby school is serving as a reception center and the Red Cross is assisting displaced residents, as the event refocuses attention on NYCHA’s aging infrastructure and past gas-related incidents.