2nd Avenue Building Explosion Yesterday Sidelines Pomme Frites; B&H Dairy Remains Open [UPDATED]
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Photo: FDNY
Yesterday afternoon was a nightmare realized on Second Avenue in the East Village. As you probably heard, a gas-related explosion at roughly 3:30pm inside Sushi Park at 121 Second Avenue caused the building to collapse. The resultant 7-alarm blaze spread to the adjacent structures injuring 19 people. No fatalities reported as of this morning, but six two people are reportedly missing.
One has been identified. The New York Times reports that 23-year-old Nicholas Figueroa hasn’t been heard from since the blast. He was apparently on a lunch date at Sushi Park at the time of the explosion.
According to NBC, private construction workers inside the sushi restaurant “accidentally hit a gas line,” and that was all she wrote. Firefighters spent the entire night extinguishing the remnant flames. The devastation resulted in the total collapse of 121, 123, and 125 Second Avenue.
It’s safe to say that the commercial businesses in the affected addresses (119-125 Second Avenue) are finished for the foreseeable future. Pomme Frites took to Facebook last night to announce that the grub spot is closed indefinitely, but that they “hope to reopen someday soon.” Full statement:
We want to thank everyone who has shared their concern for our well-being. Our staff and our customers are safe. However, our main concern is for those who were injured. This is a terrible tragedy, and our hearts go out to them and their families.
Due to the severe damage to our building, we are closed for the foreseeable future. We hope to re-open someday soon and will keep you updated when we have news to share.
Meanwhile, many were equally worried about B&H Dairy right next door at 127 2nd Avenue. Dodging the bullet would be an apt idiom here. The restaurant remains open for business despite the activity right outside, and noted on their Facebook page, “Tanky God we ok B&H is fine next bulding of us drop down so sad.”
U/D Manhattan: 125 2 Ave FDNY reporting a partial collapsed of a 3rd building, and 6 people still uncounted for. pic.twitter.com/tcEoCYsSDJ
— NYC Scanner (@NYScanner) March 27, 2015
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