Public Safety

Death Toll From NYC Explosion Stands At 7, May Go Higher

KPBS | By Mark Memmott / NPR

Published March 13, 2014 at 3:54 AM PDT

This story was published more than 10 years ago.

Firefighters try to put out a fire after a reported explosion and building collapse in the Harlem neighborhood of New York City on Wednesday. The cause of the explosion, as well as reports of any injuries, had not yet been determined.

"Four more bodies were found overnight in the smoldering rubble of two upper Manhattan buildings leveled by a gas explosion that injured more than 70 people and spewed debris for blocks, bringing the death toll to seven," NBC News writes.

Unfortunately, according to CBS New York, not everyone has been accounted for: As of early Thursday, at least nine people were still missing.

We began posting about the explosion Wednesday morning. The blast, which came shortly after reports of a gas leak at the location, leveled two buildings that contained a total of 15 apartments as well as several businesses.

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As The New York Times says:

"The call to Consolidated Edison came at 9:13 a.m. on Wednesday: The smell of gas, detectable the night before, had strengthened around two buildings by 116th Street and Park Avenue in East Harlem.

"Less than 20 minutes later, the buildings were gone, leveled by a tremendous explosion whose tremors could be felt more than a mile away."