It gave me a chill when I heard of the explosion in NY today. I hope all of our NY posters are OK. Wishing you all the best.

I have not seen the news yet. What happened?

AT this point they are saying it's not terrorism, just a gas leak but the building is demolished.

check this out:

http://www.cnn.com/2006/US/07/10/bui...pse/index.html

I saw the first reports with Larry King on American Morning (CNN) this morning. When he described the sound like a bomb going off...my heart just fell. I'm glad to see that they are now saying it was not a bomb.

Thankfully it was limited to one townhouse on residential block in the Upper East Side. The building was an apartment and doctor's office. The doctor is in critical condition, and a few pedestrians were injured.

OK, I thought it was a larger building. Larry King did mention an underground parking garage, hoping nobody is trapped inside. Let's hope for the best.

Apparently the explosion was caused by gas. (People in nearby buildings had complained of gas odor and Con Ed was already investigating.)

It now appers this MAY have been an attempted suicide by gas by someone in the building - who didn't realize they would take the whole building with them.

Several injuries - public and services - no more info yet.

You had the chills? I almost had a freaking heart attack when I heard. My daughter, Emily, lives in that neighborhood. She regularly has lunch at La Goulue.

What is even more eerie is that Thingorjus' sister used to work in the building at the corner of Madison and 61st, but that was back in the late 80's.

What a small world.

Christine

A house across the street from where I lived in San Francisco had the same type of gas explosion. Yes, it does feel like a bomb. Or like a huge track rammed the building. Very very scary!

For long time after that I was afraid of sudden loud sounds. Children got over this sooner, but I had to wait in their room till they fell asleep.

From what I just read the belief is that perhaps the doctor that owned the building caused this, he was trying to commit suicide as he is going through a bitter divorce and didn't want to lose his building. His wife's attorney contact the NYCPD as his wife had received a message from him some days ago that he was contemplating suicide. He didn't want to have to sell the building.

Another, similar explosion on Lake Michigan

http://www.cnn.com/2006/US/07/10/exp....ap/index.html

Very scary, it happened about a block from our old apartment
Imagine, the entire building being demolished...

Apparently the building was about to be seized and sold to give the wife her share of family assets - since the husband refused to give her anything (I guess all other assets were hidden offshore). He had severed his connection with his divorce attorneys more than a year ago - who were quoted as saying that he was incapable of dealing with the legal system.

(His stand was he had earned the money and she was entitled to nothing.)

I guess the same thinking as those who prefer murder to divorce. Only unfortunately 3 civilians and 11 firefighters were hospitalized as a result of the explosion and fire.

Is this building next to the Browning private school? We used to own a co-op on 62nd between Lex and Park.

I'll bet someone is already writing the TV special, "Divorce American Style".

>>>"incapable of dealing with the legal system.<<<

Love that phrase.