Explosion at Apex Technical School
Newsday.com
April 25, 2002, 12:16 PM EDTA noontime explosion rocked a street in the Chelsea section of Manhattan, injuring at least 40 people and partially collapsing the building, authorities said.
Police sources said the explosion appeared to be caused by a boiler explosion either in a building that houses the Apex Technical School or a sign company next door on West 19th Street between Sixth and Seventh Avenues.
The explosion caused several floors inside the technical school to collapse, authorities said. The school offers training in such fields as welding, automotive repair, refrigeration, air conditioning, and appliance technology.
More than 100 firefighters were called to the scene. Paramedics were treating the injured on the street and some were taken away in ambulances. The seriousness of the injuries was not known and no fatalities were reported.
Some witnesses reported seeing gas being brought into the technical school's building prior to the explosion. People several blocks away said their offices were shaken by the incident.
Police cordoned off the area in case of a secondary explosion. The school is located at 121 W. 19th St. between Sixth and Seventh Aves.
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(04-25) 09:20 PDT NEW YORK (AP) -- Part of a building collapsed Thursday in the Chelsea section of Manhattan, and at least 21 people were being treated at the scene for injuries, fire officials said.
At least two people were carried out on stretchers and placed into ambulances.
Officials said it appeared some type of explosion collapsed some floors of the building.
"It was just a really loud noise," said Stuart Markowitz, who runs the education department at the nearby Apex Technical School. "Some of our windows did get blown out."
All students in the school were safely evacuated, he said. Initial reports that the collapse took place at the school were not true, he said.
More than 100 firefighters were called to the scene on 19th Street between Sixth and Seventh avenues.