NEW YORK, July 19, 2007
1 Dead, 18 Injured In NYC Explosion
Authorities Say Steam Pipe Blast Near Grand Central Terminal Is Not Terrorism-Related
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Play CBS Video Video 80-Year-Old Steam Pipe Bursts NYC's mayor blames the blast on old infrastructure. The explosion has claimed one life so far and critically injured two people. Officials are checking for asbestos residue. Drew Levinson reports.
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Video NYC Mayor On Pipe Explosion NYC Mayor Michael Bloomberg updates the public just hours after a steam pipe explosion raised fears of a terror attack. At least one person died, and about 20 people were injured.
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Smoke was seen billowing above the east side of Manhattan after an apparent steam explosion. (CBS)
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New York police and fire officials arrive at the scene of a suspected steam explosion near Grand Central Terminal in Manhattan on Wednesday, July 18, 2007, during the evening rush hour. (AP)
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Photo Essay NYC Steam Explosion Midtown Manhattan gets a serious scare after an underground pipe explodes.
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Interactive America On Guard The Homeland Security Department, the terror alert system, preparedness quiz and more.
Mayor Michael Bloomberg said the explosion was not terrorism, though the blast caused a brief panic about a possible attack.
“There is no reason to believe whatsoever that this is anything other than a failure of our infrastructure,” he said of the a 24-inch steam pipe that had been installed in 1924.
Eighteen people were taken to local hospitals, officials said. One person was pronounced dead at Bellevue Hospital from an apparent heart attack, Bloomberg said. Two were in critical condition and another two were seriously injured. The others suffered minor injuries.
The explosion caused widespread chaos as residents and commuters heard a huge blast — and feared for the worst. Thousands of commuters evacuated the train terminal, some at a run, after workers yelled for people to get out of the building.
A titanic geyser of steam and mud shot from the center of the blast, generating a tremendous roar. The initial burst of steam rose higher than the nearby 77-story Chrysler Building, one of Manhattan's tallest buildings. The air near the site was filled with debris.
Debbie Tontodonato, 40, a manager for Clear Channel Outdoor, said she thought the rumble from the 6 p.m. explosion was thunder.
“I looked out the window and I saw these huge chunks that I thought were hail,” she said. “We panicked, I think everyone thought the worst. Thank God it wasn't. It was like a cattle drive going down the stairs, with everyone pushing. I almost fell down the stairs.”
Heiko H. Thieme, an investment banker, had mud splattered on his face, pants and shoes. He said the explosion was like a volcano. “Everybody was a bit confused, everybody obviously thought of 9/11.”
Streets were closed in several blocks in all directions. Subway service in the area was suspended.
There were also concerns about what was spewed into the air. Some of the pipes carrying steam through the city are wrapped in asbestos. “The big fear that we have is there may or may not have been asbestos release,” Bloomberg said.
Officials wouldn't know until test results until later, the mayor said, but if there was a release it may have washed away with the water that came with the steam.
The steam cleared around 8 p.m., exposing a crater several feet wide in the street. A red tow truck lay at the bottom of the hole.
Con Edison spokesman Chris Olert said workers were still trying to determine what caused the blast.
Millions of pounds of steam are pumped beneath New York City streets every hour, heating and cooling thousands of buildings, including the Empire State Building.
The steam pipes are sometimes prone to rupture, however. In 1989, a gigantic steam explosion ripped through a street, killing three people and sending mud and debris several stories into the air.
That explosion was caused by a condition known as “water hammer,” the result of condensation of water inside a steam pipe. The sudden mix of hot steam and cool water can cause pressure to skyrocket, bursting the pipe.
© MMVII The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
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See all 35 CommentsPosted by retrolution at 12:02 AM : Jul 19, 2007
Wow!!! .... let see - a pipe installed in 1924. That is 2007 - 1924 = 83 years old. I do not know about you guys, but I do not believe the life of a steel pipe in steam service, i.e. Water, would last 84 years!!!
With less and less money going to infrastructure,and more and more money going to fight terrorism , we'll see more of these cases of systems falling into disrepair and exploding,and falling down,...We still need to invest money into these systems, or it will be to our detriment.
Thanks fascistusa for this posting.
-With all this I'll never be able to sleep without having the American People remove this tyrant spokesperson whom I called from the beginning the Gearge Walking-Liar Bush.
Again ZEITGEISTmovie.com juste copy paste in your URL.
Before 9-11 the people weren't all that hip to know about the threats that this country was facing everyday. Now, after 9-11, there has been a clamor that the public needs and wants to be kept informed. So that is what the gov't is doing, keeping us informed. I don't think the threats against our country have increased that much. I think that we just know more about them because we are being kept up-to-date.
I don't expect you to agree with me. But again, I said my piece and I respect yours.
(see people, I said my peace and I didn't put anyone down nor did I have to curse. It can be done.)
You don't have to be pro anything to figure that he is behind all of these events. What is your definition of terror I would say, keeping the public in fear and, to some degree, the dark, is one example.
Lord Bush and KING Cheney are Planning 9/11 Part 2: The American Empire Strikes Back.
America is a FASCIST NATION. BUSH DID 9/11. Jesus is a SUN GOD. The American/Israeli Elite RULE EVERYTHING. ZEITGEISTmovie.com
DALENDUBOIS: You must be kidding. The USA and the EEU send tons of money to the palestinians much of which is squandered on weapons or diverted to military instead of infrastructure. Private money would almost certainly go to Hamas or Fatah organizations for arms. You would be better off taking your family to dinner, or flushing it down the toilet. Money given by Israel to fix the sewer system in GAZA was diverted to military use, and the system broke drowning hundreds in human excrement. How stupid do the Palestinians think we are. I cannot believe that you do not know these things. Are you part of Hamas or Fatah?
Can't control everything
Posted by emtak1 at 07:49 PM : Jul 18, 2007
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Amen, Pray for Pece and God Bless You.
No thanks. I am not going to pay to go somewhere to be a shooting target.
Neo-Cons nutty ideas... "take a vacation". Big Brother. Police State America. Fascism. Totalitarianism. SLAVERY.
The American/Israeli Elite DO NOT want change.
Therefore, NO CHANGE. We The People have NO SAY in our Government.
Lord Bush and KING Cheney are Planning 9/11 Part 2: The American Empire Strikes Back.
America is a FASCIST NATION. BUSH DID 9/11. Jesus is a SUN GOD. The American/Israeli Elite RULE EVERYTHING. ZEITGEISTmovie.com
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See all 35 Comments