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NJ.COM
Two buildings have collapsed after an explosion in Manhattan Wednesday morning, killing two people and injuring more than 20, according to a report from CBS 2.
The explosion happened on 116th Street and Park Avenue just after 9:30 a.m. One of the buildings had a piano repair shop with apartments on top, while the other building housed a church, the report said.
The explosion was a result of a gas leak, NYC Mayor Bill de Blasio said in a press conference this afternoon.
The only indication of danger, he said, came 15 minutes prior to the explosion when a resident in a nearby building called Con Edison, reporting the smell of gas. ConEd dispatched workers but the collapse happened before they could get there, officials said.
“This is a tragedy of the worst kind because there was no indication in time to save people,” de Blasio said.
Two women were killed, and at least 54 others were injured, authorities told CBS. There are also a “number of missing individuals,” the mayor said. Authorities will conduct a search through the rubble as soon as the fire is put out, he said.
READ MORE : http://www.nj.com/news/index.ssf/2014/03/2_dead_after_2_nyc_buildings_collapse_following_explosion.html#incart_river_default