Shocking Collapse: NYC Apartment Building Partially Falls After Possible Explosion

Mon Oct 20 2025 23:03:30 GMT+0300 (Eastern European Summer Time)

A section of a residential building in The Bronx collapsed, frightening residents but fortunately resulting in no injuries. Authorities investigate a potential gas explosion linked to the incident.

In a dramatic event, part of a 20-story apartment building in the Bronx collapsed on Wednesday morning, following what authorities suggest might have been an explosion in the boiler room's ventilation shaft. Despite the terrifying incident, luckily, there were no reported injuries. Witnesses described a loud boom and felt their windows shake. A gas leak investigation is underway as several residents were evacuated while some were allowed to return. The building has faced previous violations, raising concerns about its safety.

A section of a 20-storey residential building partially collapsed in New York City on Wednesday morning, and authorities say there are no injuries.

Firefighters and emergency responders searched into the afternoon for anyone who may have been trapped under the mounds of rubble outside the building, which is part of a public housing development in the Bronx.

The whole building just - you heard a loud boom, and the thing just exploded, and it fell down just like that, said one witness who spoke with CBS News.

Somebody in the building next to me, they said that their window even fell, and it's on the 16th floor, another witness told CBS.

The collapse seems to have originated from an explosion in the ventilation shaft of a boiler room, the city's fire commissioner Robert Tucker said in a news conference.

No apartments were damaged, but as a precautionary measure, some residents have been evacuated. Others were allowed to return, but the gas to the building has been shut off as authorities investigate.

That investigation will determine whether a gas leak caused the explosion, Mayor Eric Adams said. Utility provider ConEd has not returned a request for comment from BBC.

The New York City Housing Authority, which manages the complex, said in a statement that it is investigating the incident and still determining the extent of the damage. The building has a few open violations against it.

The NYC Department of Buildings issued a partial stop work order, which is still active, on the building in June, related to plumbing violations.

Two other violations on the property are still active, public records show. One concerns a failure to file a report on facade safety and inspection, while another deals with a NYCHA inspection report that found the building's facade to be unsafe.

The DOB's commissioner highlighted three open violations against the property concerning non-safety issues on boilers, but their relation to the current issues remains unclear.

The partial collapse comes just a week after a fire in the same building left a teenage girl coma and in critical condition.

We were lucky that this emergency didn't result in a loss of life, that it didn't turn into a tragedy, stated local assembly member Amanda Septimo, emphasizing the need for better security measures.