Explosion Rocks Former Gas Station Under The High Line
NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) - Roads were closed and buildings evacuated Friday following an explosion underneath the High Line.
Police and fire units rushed to the scene of the blast at 450 West 15th Street at Tenth Avenue around 10:30 a.m.
WCBS 880's Marla Diamond On The Scene
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The blast occurred at the site of an old Mobil station where workers were removing an underground gas tank, officials said.
The workers had pumped the tank dry but Battalion Chief Mike Meyers said sparks ignited the fumes that were still inside.
"Probably a spark from that saw as they were cutting caused the vapors inside the tank to explode," Meyers said. "There's a hole blown in the side of the tank, so it was a violent explosion."
Two workers were seriously injured and rushed to Bellevue Hospital.
The blast shook the nerves of workers in nearby buildings, which were evacuated.
1010 WINS' Al Jones reports
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"It was a really, really loud sonic blast," one woman said. "It was really scary. The building shook."
"People got really scared and wanted to get out of the building as quickly as possible," another woman said.
The blast also closed down a section of the High Line.
