Explosion In Manhattan, Multiple Injuries Reported
Twenty-five people were injured after an explosion occurred in Manhattan Saturday evening, authorities said.
The Fire Department said none of the injures appear to be life-threatening. The explosion on West 23rd Street between Sixth and Seventh Avenues in Chelsea was reported at around 8:30 p.m.
"It was a loud boom, a deep boom," an eyewitness who was eating dinner nearby when the blast occurred. "We all ran out and went down the street. You could fell it in your chest and in your legs."
The cause of the explosion is still unclear, but a police bomb squad was called in as a precaution to look for secondary devices in the immediate area, an FDNY official said. The FBI Joint Terrorism Task Force is on the scene.
Photos on social media appeared to show a trash bin that was purported to have been mangled in the blast. A construction site is near the area where the blast occurred.
"There was a loud boom and our entire apartment shook," said Neha Jain, 24, who lives on W. 23rd and Sixth Avenue. "All the pictures fell to the floor and then I heard people screaming."
Jain said the explosion shattered the glass in her building's lobby. "My first thought was it's a bomb, Jain said. "It's quite terrifying."
The New York Office of Emergency Management said it was responding to the scene. A large police presence and ambulances responded to the area. The NYPD's counterterrorism unit said it was also responding.
Police were searching cars and trash cans in the area.
Facebook activated its "Safety Check" feature so that users can easily notify friends and family members of their status.
http://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/our-entire-apartment-shook-explosion-reported-manhattan-n650041
