New York Steam Pipe Blast
On July 18, 2007, a ruptured underground steam pipe caused an explosion in New York City that killed one person and injured another 45. The blast caused a geyser of mud and steam to shoot up more than 77 stories and created a crater over 25 feet wide.
Fast Facts
- The blast occurred at the intersection of 41st street and Lexington Avenue around 6:00 p.m.
- Explosion is believed to have been caused when cold water entered the steam pipe
- Over 200 emergency personnel were quickly deployed to the area
- A "frozen zone" was erected in the surrounding area
- Subway routes were diverted around the area for two days
- Traces of asbestos were found in the blast debris
Failing Infrastructure
New York mayor Michael Bloomberg attributed the ruptured steam pipe to a "failure of our infrastructure." 1 In response, Senators Chris Dodd and Chuck Hagel introduced the National Infrastructure Bank Act of 2007 in an attempt to fund infrastructure improvement.
Quote
"As you can imagine, it was pretty nerve wracking indeed, obviously thoughts of September 11 and the like come to you pretty quickly. There's obviously a lot of people who were here during September 11 and it brought back terrible memories, I mean that was clear in the staircase, people rushing and obviously thinking of that."—New York resident Wes Ballantine 1
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