Ally

I work for an Advertinsing Agency and was just informed by our Talent payment company in NY that their office has been closed due to a school exploding??

xx

Here's what the times said:

Part of an eight-story building housing a technical school collapsed Thursday on Manhattan's West Side.

Broadcast reports identified the school as Apex Technical School. The site is in the Chelsea neighborhood.

At least two people were carried out on stretchers and placed into ambulances.

Ellen

The Yahoo coverage calls it a collapse, not an exploson.

http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmp...lding_collapse

wondering

Any indication of a cause?

xx

Actually the collapse was a result of some kind of explosion as reported by CBS News.

Anthony

There was an explosion in an tecnical school in the chelsea section in Manhattan. At this point, no one is linking this as an terrorist attack, rather as some sort of mechanical accident or such.

xx

CBS News reports:

Fire officials said it appeared some type of explosion collapsed some floors of the building, which houses the Apex Technical School. More than 100 firefighters were called to the scene of the collapse in the Chelsea neighborhood.

The school offers training in such fields as welding, automotive repair, refrigeration, air conditioning, and appliance technology.


Could have been tools or equipment used at the schol that would cause something like this.

Ei

I've heard it was a boiler explosion.

Ally

Thanks all.
Whatever the cause, it's a crying shame.

xx

21 injured.

Frank

From this report on Fox News, it doesn't sound too bad, but it's early and reports can change as more info comes in.


Federal officials said there was no sign of terrorism.

"It was just a really loud noise," said Stuart Markowitz, who runs the school's education department. "Some of our windows did get blown out."

He said all students in the school were safely evacuated, and reports that the collapse took place at the school were not true.

Apex Technical School offers training in such fields as welding, automotive repair, refrigeration, air conditioning, and appliance technology.

Michelle

It's not the Apex Tech School!!!! It's the building next to it. For further information and live broadcast, go to www.newschannel4.com

suzanne

I work 4 blocks away. It's a madhouse out there! They closed off sidewalks & 6th Avenue so I could only get 2 blocks from it. I've heard reports on 1010 WINS that 4-60 people were injured (quite a range). No word yet on what caused it.

nyer

reports are saying that both the apartment building and the APEX tech school building are affected (they are catty-corner to each other)--
"Officials say there was extensive damage to the building's basement and lower floors. The building is
located in Manhattan's Chelsea neighborhood. Students at the Apex Technical School, located next
door, said some the windows in their school were blown out. " (from www.7online.com, local ABC station--has aerial photos from the traffic helicopters)
I can hear the many ambulances and helicopters from here and it's eerily reminiscent...

xx

More info from tv stations:

Officials say there was extensive damage to the building's basement and lower floors, and it appears that part of the building's facade had fallen onto the sidewalk of 19th Street. The building, which houses Kaltech Group Industries Incorporated, is located in Manhattan's Chelsea neighborhood. Students at the Apex Technical School, located next door, said some the widows in their school were blown out.

nyer

more from 7online:
"Officials say firefighters found several 55 gallon drums of acetone, a cleanser that can be explosive, at the
scene. Federal officials said there was no sign of terrorism. "

Michelle

It is eerily reminiscent... I'm glad someone else felt that way too!! The first "breaking news" e-mail I received only said "Explosion Rocks Manhattan -- Building Collapses"!! My heart skipped 10 beats!!

xxx3

That headline is sensationalist and irresponsible, IMHO -- the explosion certainly wasn't big enough to "rock Manhattan" nor did the whole building collapse.

xxx

FYI: If your hot water heater were to malfunction and explode, it would completely destroy your house. Please routinely inspect them.

xxx4

xxx3 there was no word on fatalities and people were being rolled away on stretchers over the news. 35 people were injured and no one new the source right away. This was not sensationistic it is what was happening.