NYCOEM via FDNY
Jan. 4, 2019 By Meghan Sackman
A large chunk of Northern Boulevard collapsed earlier today by an empty construction site in an event that saw gas and water lines rupture and indefinite road closures, authorities said.
Firefighters responded to the roadway collapse near 114th Street on the boulevard at around 2:15 p.m. on Friday afternoon.
About 12 FDNY units, along with Con Ed personnel, were forced to shut off a water line that was punctured and leaking, along with a natural gas line that had exploded at the site.
The road and street collapse by the construction site, according to reports, caused the gas and water lines to rupture, which led to an explosion seen and heard by many along the roadway.
The 115th Precinct said Northern Boulevard would be closed from 110 to 114th Streets while emergency personnel deal with the issue.
New York City Emergency Management, meanwhile, has urged residents to report any natural gas emergencies or gas odors to 911 or 1-800-75-CONED.
While it is unclear what exactly caused the collapse at the construction site, there were no utilities outages to the surrounding community.
The collapse could be related to work being done at the construction site, although a stop work order had been issued at the site for some time.
Some cars near the explosion, however, had their windows blown off, with at least one person who was driving by taken to the hospital for shortness of breath, according to reports.
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