New York City Explosion Starts Fire Causing Buildings to Collapse, 19 People Suffer Injury

An explosion that injured 19 people, causing a massive a massive fire which caused three buildings to collapse, was caused when construction workers inside a sushi restaurant in the East Village accidentally hit a gas line. The explosion inside 121 Second Ave., between East 7th Street and St. Marks Place, caused the buildings at 121, 123 and 119 to collapse after they became engulfed in flames, according to city officials. No. 125 was still burning Thursday evening. “The initial impact appears to have been caused by plumbing and gas work that was occurring inside 121 Second Avenue,” said Mayor de Blasio at a news conference Thursday evening detailing the explosion that injured at least 14 civilians and five emergency responders. See Photos,Videos and  Read more at NBC New York.

See Video Below from CBS News;

According to The New York Times, “Among the 19 people reported injured, four were critically injured; four were firefighters who were taken to hospitals for treatment of minor injuries; and three others, including one emergency medical worker, declined medical attention at the scene, according to the Fire Department.”