Gas explosion in Chinatown building sends eight people to a Manhattan hospital

Twelve people have been injured in an apparent gas explosion in downtown Manhattan today.

A building in the city’s Chinatown neighborhood has partially collapsed as a result of the explosion.

Three of the twelve injured are said to be in critical condition in local hospitals. One of the nine others injured was a firefighter who responded to the scene.

At least five people injured after an explosion and flash fire on Pike Street in Chinatown. @eyewitnessnyc pic.twitter.com/AbsGAI2vrR

— NJ Burkett (@njburkett7) July 11, 2013

The fire department got the call around 12.45om on Thursday afternoon and emergency responders had the fire under control less than an hour later around 1.30pm.

Initial searches of the building for other people have been completed, and secondary searches are underway.

The building in question is said to be 17 Pike Street, which has a commercial space on the ground floor and apartments on each of the floors above.

CBS New York says initial reports suggest there may have been a gas explosion on the first floor of the building.

They said that firefighters were seen lifting a man out of an upper floor of the building and placing him into a rescue bucket at the top of an extendable ladder from a truck.

The man’s condition is unknown but he appeared to be unconscious to onlookers.

Local blog Bowery Boogie said that it was deemed an ‘all-hands fire’ and the rear portion of the building collapsed but the street side was still standing a few hours after the initial explosion.