Part of a 20-Story Building Has Collapsed in the Bronx

Part of a high-rise apartment building in New York City collapsed Wednesday morning, leaving a corner of the building a pile of rubble. The city's fire department said it had no immediate reports of injuries. It said it was responding to a report of a gas explosion that collapsed an incinerator shaft in the 20-story building in the Bronx, reports the AP. Authorities said no residential units were affected. The building is city-owned public housing and is located at 205 Alexander Ave., per the New York Times.

Video from the scene shows a high-rise with one corner collapsed from the ground floor to the roof. Videos by nearby residents showed a cloud of dust billowing over the block moments after the collapse, which happened around 8:10am. "Upon arrival, officers observed a partial building collapse," the New York Police Department said in a statement. Firefighters, city building officials, and the Con Edison utility provider were on the scene, as officers established a perimeter around the area. Mayor Eric Adams advised that people "avoid the area for your safety," he wrote on X.

Incinerator shafts in New York City buildings were once used to dispose of trash, which was then burned on site. But they have largely been replaced with trash compactors, which can use the same chutes.