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3 October 2025
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Explosion causes collapse at NYCHA Bronx apartment building, US
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An explosion on 1 October 2025, caused the partial collapse of a New York City Housing Authority (NYCHA) building in the Mott Haven section of the Bronx. The blast, which occurred in a ventilation shaft connected to the boiler room, tore a massive hole in the side of the building. The Fire Department was notified just after 8am and arrived within four minutes. Videos show a gaping hole in the side of the 20-storey building and extensive damage all along Alexander Avenue in the Mott Haven section of the borough. Power and gas were immediately shut off by Con Edison and NYC Emergency Management. All residents were evacuated, though a long-term plan for the displaced tenants is still pending.
Fire Commissioner Robert Tucker indicated that the explosion likely originated in a ventilation shaft connected to the boiler room.
The collapse sent a small mountain of bricks and debris onto the ground below, just feet from a playground and across the street from a school. Two NYPD K-9s searched the rubble with no indication of anyone trapped.
No injuries or fatalities were reported.
Cleanup could be a 'long operation'
Some demolition will take place to remove the remnants of the chimney, to get into the basement and then to restore services heat, hot water and cooking gas to the campus, officials said.
Crews have to take down what's left of that chimney, brick by brick with a sledgehammer. They can't use an electric tool because the vibration could cause what's rest of it to collapse. It is a process that could take all morning.
"This is going to be a long, long operation," Deputy Mayor Kaz Daughtry said. "We don't have an exact time of how long this is going to take, but there are going to be some closures in the neighbourhood for the next couple of weeks."
A safety fence has been installed in the collapse zone.
DOB inspectors say the building, which houses more than 3,400 people, is structurally sound for all other residents, but if they feel unsafe to return home, they will also be placed in a hotel.
Building had violations for unsafe facades
CBS News New York found that, according to city records, 205 Alexander Ave. has two active violations from the DOB dating back to 2020 for unsafe facades. The most recent is from February 2024.
While investigators found three non-safety-related open violations on boilers, a Buildings Department commissioner said it was not clear if they contributed to the explosion. The cause of the collapse remains under investigation.
Sources: FDNY, CBS News, Eye Witness News
Fire Commissioner Robert Tucker indicated that the explosion likely originated in a ventilation shaft connected to the boiler room.
The collapse sent a small mountain of bricks and debris onto the ground below, just feet from a playground and across the street from a school. Two NYPD K-9s searched the rubble with no indication of anyone trapped.
No injuries or fatalities were reported.
Cleanup could be a 'long operation'
Some demolition will take place to remove the remnants of the chimney, to get into the basement and then to restore services heat, hot water and cooking gas to the campus, officials said.
Crews have to take down what's left of that chimney, brick by brick with a sledgehammer. They can't use an electric tool because the vibration could cause what's rest of it to collapse. It is a process that could take all morning.
"This is going to be a long, long operation," Deputy Mayor Kaz Daughtry said. "We don't have an exact time of how long this is going to take, but there are going to be some closures in the neighbourhood for the next couple of weeks."
A safety fence has been installed in the collapse zone.
DOB inspectors say the building, which houses more than 3,400 people, is structurally sound for all other residents, but if they feel unsafe to return home, they will also be placed in a hotel.
Building had violations for unsafe facades
CBS News New York found that, according to city records, 205 Alexander Ave. has two active violations from the DOB dating back to 2020 for unsafe facades. The most recent is from February 2024.
While investigators found three non-safety-related open violations on boilers, a Buildings Department commissioner said it was not clear if they contributed to the explosion. The cause of the collapse remains under investigation.
Sources: FDNY, CBS News, Eye Witness News
