West Haverstraw Townhouse Leveled By Gas Explosion
NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) -- Police and fire crews are on the scene of a gas explosion which completely leveled a townhouse in West Haverstraw in Rockland County, luckily the family of four who lived in the house was out at the time of the explosion.
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Orange and Rockland County Utilities tell 1010 WINS a contractor was working on a gas line shortly before the explosion occurred at a home on Zarriello Lane.
CBS 2's Jim Smith reports the initial call to the fire department came in around 12:15 p.m. about a gas leak at the location giving neighbors plenty of time to evacuate the area before the explosion, which occurred shortly before 1 p.m..
Officials confirm two firefighters and two O&R workers sustained non-life threatening injuries.
CBS2's Pablo Guzman spoke with witnesses in West Haverstraw where no fatalaties have been reported, thanks in large part to fast work on the part of authorities to evacuate residents before the explosion.
Neighboor Alicia Rodriguez told Guzman that she saw the whole thing.
"It was out of a movie...the explosion and the debris...unreal...whole neighborhood shook," she said.
Neighbors were kept out of their homes for nearly eight hours before being allowed to return.
