Firefighters in the Bronx are working to contain a massive gas line rupture Sunday after a blast sent noxious fumes into the air and locals running for cover.
The overwhelming stench emitting from Bedford Park Boulevard and Webster Avenue covered the South Bronx on Sept. 22 and could be smelled for several miles. Commuters riding the 4 train detected the odor from at least four stops away.
According to FDNY officials, the gas main erupted at around 9:40 a.m. Sunday, creating a resounding explosion and sending a mustard-colored substance into the air.
“It sounded like a helicopter landed here,” said Jason Thomas, who was attending Sunday service at St. Mary’s Orthodox Church of India when the gas main broke. “Somebody opened the door and smelled the gas and said, ‘Gas leak.’ We all screamed, and everybody just evacuated the church.”
About 200 parishioners fled the church; Thomas said the evacuation was so hasty that some attendees left their shoes behind.
Police, firefighters and other emergency response personnel evacuated several nearby apartment buildings before sealing off the area for several blocks, hoping to prevent serious injury.
Firefighters reported that several people became ill from the fumes. At least one woman had to be hospitalized from not just the odor but also the shock of being awoken by next-door neighbors urging her to flee.
“The trauma of smelling the gas and getting out of bed that early in the morning traumatized her, she was sleeping,” a man who gave his name as Alejandro said, with the help of a translator. “She has high blood pressure.”
After the explosion, Alejandro said, he saw what he described as a powder being ejected into the air. Even after the substance had been contained, a dense smell continued to infest the area, forcing onlookers to cover their faces with tissues and their shirts.
Even members of the press reporting on the incident scrambled to cover their faces.
FDNY reported that about 106 fire and EMS personnel were on scene while Con Edison workers strove to fix the issue. The gas has been shut down and the incident under control 12:55 p.m.
EMS rushed five people to local hospitals, they are expected to survive.
