NYC Building Collapse

A short time ago a 3-story building exploded on the Upper East Side (62nd St between Park and Madison). There are reports of injuries and people trapped in the building.

There is no indication as to what caused the explosion and collapse.

The cause was not immediately known, and at least two people were under evaluation at a hospital.

Television reports said people were trapped inside, but fire officials did not immediately confirm that.

Heavy black smoke rose high above the building, wedged between taller structures on 62nd Street between Park and Madison Avenues just a few blocks from Central Park. Damage, including shattered windows, could be seen at one of the adjoining buildings.

The building reportedly housed a doctor's office and a beauty salon.

Yaakov Kermaier, 36, a resident in a building next door, said he was outside when he heard "a deafening boom. I saw the whole building explode in front of me."

"Everybody started running, nobody knew what was coming next," he said. His nanny and newborn escaped from their next-door apartment unharmed.

TV host Larry King, who had been in his hotel room nearby, described the explosion to CNN as sounding like a bomb and feeling like an earthquake.

I'll continue to update as information becomes available.

Kaintuck at LGF posted a link to a feed of the FDNY Manhattan dispatcher.

UPDATE:
Apparently Con Ed was investigating a gas leak in the building next door to the one that exploded. The collapse is being considered a major incident by the FDNY - who have responded with four alarms and 170 firefighters, but is not considered terrorism related according to White House counterterror officials.

The operating theory right now is that there was a gas leak, and it remains unclear whether there was a fire and explosion causing the collapse or the collapse caused the fire and explosion.

UPDATE:
The FDNY has asked Con Ed to shut the gas service off to the area - lessening the chance for additional explosions as investigators try to figure out what happened.

Bus service is being rerouted around the area and the vicinity is basically in gridlock as emergency services crews have blocked off streets around the collapse.

Gothamist has more details, including maps and photos of the building before the explosion and the possibility that the resident of the building involved may have been trying to commit suicide.