HUGE manhole explosion in midtown
It looks like Old Faithful has moved to Lexington Avenue!
The manhole explosion looks to be a steam pipe explosion, and Con Ed is slowly shutting down the steam, but to keep other explosions from occurring due to the changes in pressure, they have to do it slowly.
There is a huge hole in the middle of Lexington, and it’s going to be out of commission for at least a few days. MTA has shut down the 6 train from 86th to Brooklyn Bridge, but Metro North says their trains are running fine from Grand Central.
As of now, there have been 12 injuries reported, none life-threatening. The NYPD and FDNY are advising people to stay out of the area unless you have to be in it. They are concerned about other explosions, possible asbestos contamination, and the integrity of the street and sidewalks in the area since there was a lot of dirt that came up with the steam.
I happen to be watching ABC, since no other channel had reporters on the scene, and both CBS and NBC went to the national nightly news at 6:30pm.
Update: The steam has been turned off and we can now see that there is a tow truck inside the crater. News agencies are reporting that one person has died and that at least two people are in critical condition.
I was like a block away in the office. At first I thought it was thunder, but it just kept going and it was very very loud. Very scary, the NYPD says it was not terrorism. They say it was a steam explosion. Smoke and steam went up over the 45th floor. There was no bla ck smoke like a fire though. People were running down Lexington. It was pretty scary, I was positive while in the area that it was terrorism.
It happened right around the corner from one of the biggest creators of traffic congestion in NYC.
Will Mayor Bloomberg do anything about this?
I think Mayor Nanny Bloomie is a very arrogant man. I also highly doubt he rides the subway that much. He’s the mayor, I want someone driving him around so he can work and make calls and stuff. New Yorkers shouldn’t want him wasting all that time on the subway.
We all have to wonder what Bloomberg is really thinking of with this congestion pricing tax scheme. Maybe he mostly just wants a new tax. Just wrap it up in ‘concern for the environment’, and then people can just demonize those who oppose it.
If he cares so much about traffic jams, congestion and air pollution, why does he let Park Avenue be blocked off? Why doesn’t he do anything about that?
It’s true, Pershing Square Restaurant blocks Park Avenue going South at 42nd St. for about 12 hours a day/5 months of the year! This Causes Massive Congestion and Air Pollution!
But apparently it does not bother NYC’s Nanny-in-Chief Mike “Congestion Pricing Tax” Bloomberg?
It certainly supports his claim that the city is hugely congested.
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ABC is unfortunately reporting one fatality.