The two five-story buildings at the northwest corner of 116th Street and Park Avenue in Harlem collapsed around 9:30 a.m., sources tell NBC 4 New York. FDNY says 16 to 20 people are injured, and one woman has been killed.
City officials said the buildings are destroyed. The cause of the apparent explosion is not known, but Con Edison told NBC 4 New York a resident in a nearby building called the utility just before the explosion, reporting a strong smell of gas.
Smoke billowed into Central Park and could be seen from miles away in midtown, and New Yorkers said they felt rumbles as far away as 150th Street. Closer to the collapse, groceries were knocked from store shelves and debris floated through the air.
"I thought a train had exploded," said Marisa Aquino, who was at her apartment on 115th Street between Park and Lexington. "There are a ton of firefighters and a lot of smoke. Cops and first responders are everywhere."
Members of the Joint Terrorism Task Force responded to the scene out of an abundance of caution, authorities said.
