New York explosion: Chinatown blast wounds at least ten
An explosion partially destroyed a building and hurt at least ten people in New York City's Chinatown area on Thursday, according to Reuters.
Another dozen people, including four firefighters, were injured, the Associated Press reported. Three remain in serious condition at a nearby hospital.
The five-story building is located at 17 Pike Street near East Broadway. Emergency vehicles are at the scene, but CBS said the fire caused by the blast was under control.
It was not immediately clear what caused the explosion. Some reports said the blast had been caused by a gas leak, but a spokesman for the Consolidated Edison gas provider told Reuters the gas had been turned off.
Fire Department Assistant Chief Robert Boyce could not confirm reports of a gas leak since the investigation in ongoing.
The building's resident Tszkan Cheung told the AP he heard a "boom, like a bombing, like an earthquake."
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