Summary

  • Officials in New York City say there were no injuries when part of a residential building collapsed in the Bronx

  • Bronx Borough President Vanessa Gibson says many people had already left for the day and children were in school: "We avoided a major disaster here"

  • New York City Mayor Eric Adams says there was "some type of explosion", and an investigation is under way to work out the cause

  • Adams later adds: "It's not lost for me that October 1 is the first day that heating is turned on" - an official later says boilers are tested over the summer

  • The explosion happened just after 08:00 local time - the New York fire commissioner Robert Tucker says there was a "major collapse of a structure attached to this building"

  • Tucker says it seems there was an explosion in the ventilation shaft, connected to the boiler room - "thank God no one was hurt"

Footage captures the moments after partial collapse of apartment building

Live Reporting

Edited by Brandon Livesay in New York

  1. Watch: Footage captures the moments after partial collapse of apartment building

    Footage taken moments after the explosion rocked the building shows a gaping hole in the side of the structure.

    Extensive damage can be seen all along Alexander Avenue in the Mott Haven section of the New York City borough.

    The video below shows the immediate aftermath of the blast:

  2. Important 'we don't jump to any conclusions', says buildings department commissioner

    The building does have three open violations against it, the BBC has confirmed.

    But officials don't know if those violations - which are non-safety defects on boilers - are related to this incident, says the commissioner of the NYC Department of Buildings, James Oddo.

    "I just urge caution that we don't jump to any conclusions," Oddo says.

    And the press conference has now ended. Stay with us as we continue to give you the latest updates.

  3. New York mayor urges resident to take precautions with gas boilers

    Mayor Adams says 1 October is the day building heaters are turned on for the colder months, and a lot of residents are flipping the switches on their boilers.

    He urged residents to take precautions when gas is involved.

    NYCHA's chief operating officer Eva Trimble adds that all public housing boilers are checked during the summer, and they are waiting for the results of an investigation.

  4. Adams says government shutdown won't affect repairs

    Mayor Eric Adams is back at the podium as he takes some questions from members of the press who have gathered at the scene.

    He is first asked about residents who have reported they "have been smelling gas for days".

    Adams replies: "That is part of the investigation to determine whether there was a gas leak here."

    Following up, Adams is then asked whether the US government shutdown will have an impact on the recovery effort and subsequent investigations.

    "Repairs are going to take place no matter what," Adams answers.

  5. New York assembly member demands full investigation into explosion

    An assembly member who represents the building's district, Amanda Septimo, says its lucky that no lives were lost in the incident.

    "But we can't be relying on luck to keep our community safe," Septimo says.

    She adds that there needs to be a clear accounting of what happened and who is responsible.

  6. 'We avoided a major disaster,' says Bronx borough chief

    Bronx Borough President Vanessa Gibson says this type of incident has happened before in the Bronx.

    She says many people had already left for their day and children were in school when the building partially collapsed.

    "We avoided a major disaster here," she said.

  7. Building inspectors checking foundations of damaged tower block

    Next to speak is commissioner Zachary Iscol from New York City Emergency Management.

    He says that building inspectors are checking all the apartments that might be impacted by the incident, as well as the foundations of the tower block.

    Iscol says that some demolition is going to take place to help restore services such as heat and water to the building.

  8. Explosion believed to have taken place in a boiler room - fire commissioner

    Fire Commissioner Robert Tucker is up next. He says FDNY crews responded in less than four minutes and when they arrived crews "found a major collapse" to the structure of the building.

    "Luckily as the mayor said no one was injured," Tucker says.

    He adds that specialist dogs are over the piles of bricks behind them and that they believe, at this time, the explosion happened in a boiler room of the shaft.

  9. Adams confirms no injuries reported as safety checks continue

    Mayor Eric Adams says there are no injuries reported, and authorities are still investigating the cause of the incident.

    NYCHA said in a statemment earlier that initial reports indicated an explosion in a building chimney.

    Adams adds that authorities are still checking out the building for residents' safety.

    NYC Mayor Eric Adams: No injuries or loss of life 'at this time'

  10. New York mayor delivering Bronx explosion update

    Eric Adams addresses press

    Mayor Eric Adams is the first to speak.

    He says there was a "partial building infrastructure collapse" due to "some type of explosion" this morning.

  11. Podium for news conference set up

    Two emergency responders stand near a podium with a microphone, with a fire truck in the background

    We've just seen a live shot from the ground which shows some activity at a podium that looks ready for a press conference.

    We're expecting to hear from city authorities and emergency responders, and will bring you updates as soon as the speakers begin. As a reminder, you can also follow along by clicking Watch live at the top of the page.

  12. In pictures: Evacuated New Yorkers watch on as fire crews continue to inspect the scene

    While we wait for an update from city officials, let's bring you some more images from New York as we start to get more of an idea as to what happened a few hours ago.

    From the latest pictures, we can see that the powerful blast sent bricks, air conditioning units and other debris raining down onto nearby buildings and the street below.

    Residents look on after a gaping hole appeared on the side of the building in the Mott Haven area of the BronxGetty Images

    Residents look on after a gaping hole appeared on the side of the building in the Mott Haven area of the Bronx

    embers of the FDNY and authorities work the scene where a confirmed building collapse transpired at 205 Alexander Avenue in BronxGetty Images

    Firefighters have been spotted digging through the rubble, using drones and dogs to make sure no one has been trapped underneath any rubble

    Members of the FDNY and Office of the Chief Medical Examiner work the scene where a confirmed building collapse transpired at 205 Alexander Avenue in BronxGetty Images

    The explosion was reported around 08:10 local time and emergency services and authorities have spent hours on the scene since

  13. Watch: Officials to give update on building collapse

    We're about to hear from city officials who are set to give a press conference about today's partial building collapse in the Bronx.

    Stick with us here for the key lines and click Watch Live above to stream the briefing.

  14. Early reports are of an explosion in a building chimney, Housing Authority says

    Grace Eliza Goodwin
    Live Reporter, Digital

    The New York City Housing Authority says it is working with local agencies, as well as with utility company ConEd, to investigate what caused the partial building collapse. It is also looking into the extent of the "damage beyond the reported exterior damage to the chimney".

    "Early reports are of an explosion in a building chimney," NYCHA says. "Agencies are on site to ensure the safety of residents and the public."

    ConEd has not responded to a request for comment from the BBC.

  15. In pictures: Bird's-eye view shows before and after of collapsed building

    A residential building is seen from above. In the angle, you can see the chimney of the structure on the lower left side is still attachedGoogle

    In the above picture, taken from Google Street View, you can see an earlier image of the residential building which the New York Fire Department said was located at Alexander Avenue and East 135th Street in the Bronx, New York.

    In this image the chimney side of the structure can still be seen attached.

    The structure where a chimney partially collapsed from the side of a building is seen in bird's eye view. The chimney, seen in the first picture, is now nowhere to be seen. Beside, there appears to be smoke and detritusCBS News

    In this screengrab of video footage taken at the site of the collapse, you can see the same residential building, but it no longer has the chimney side of the structure attached.

  16. Temporary shelter set up

    A temporary shelter has been established at a community centre at Alexander Avenue, the New York City Emergency Management (NYCEM) says.

    In a post on social media it also announced that Metropolitan Transportation Authority buses have been warranted for sheltering.

    The NYCEM also said that the gas supply had been cut off to the building following the partial collapse, and people in the area should follow all instructions from police and emergency personnel deployed there.

  17. Building belongs to New York's public housing authority

    Kayla Epstein
    Reporting from New York

    The Mitchel Houses, where the incident has taken place, are one of New York City's 335 public housing developments across the city.

    Such housing is meant to serve low and middle income New Yorkers in one of the most expensive real estate markets in the world.

    The agency that oversees public housing here, the New York City Housing Authority (NYCHA), has faced criticism over the years for their ability to maintain safe and clean buildings. In 2018, it faced lawsuits from tenants and federal prosecutors over conditions at the residences.

  18. NY mayor tells locals to avoid the area

    New York City Mayor Eric Adams says he's aware of what's happening in the Bronx.

    "New Yorkers, I have been briefed about the emergency situation taking place in the Mott Haven area of the Bronx," he wrote on X. "We are getting a full assessment from first responders and will continue to provide updates."

    He asked people to avoid the area.

  19. Photos show vertical gash in side of building

    Aerial photos of a partially collapsed NY buildingCBS
    Aerial photos of a partially collapsed NY buildingCBS

  20. What we do and don't know so far

    What we know:

    • A 20-storey residential building in New York City partially collapsed at approximately 08:13 local time (13:13 BST)
    • The fire department is calling the incident - which occurred on Alexander Avenue near 135th Street in the Bronx - a "major emergency"
    • Firefighters are continuing to dig through the rubble, using drones and dogs to make sure no one is trapped underneath, CBS News reports
    • No injuries have been reported and no apartments were impacted, NYC authorities say

    What we still don't know:

    • What caused the chimney side of the building to collapse
    • No injuries have so far been reported, but first responders are still at the scene
    • The FDNY initially said it was responding to reports of an explosion at the site - it's still unclear if one occurred