Asbestos Fears After Blast May Force Stretch Of 5th Ave To Close

CHELSEA, NY — Fears that asbestos and other toxic chemicals may have spewed across the Flatiron District during a massive underground explosion Thursday could force the city to close a stretch of Fifth Avenue for days.

"If [testing] shows that there is asbestos we’ll be deconning the entire area," said the city's Office of Emergency Management Commissioner Joe Esposito. "It could mean the closure of this avenue for at least a few days."

The explosion burst an 86-year-old underground pipe at Fifth Avenue and East 21st Street, sending smoke and clouds of scalding steam shooting through the neighborhood just after 6:30 a.m.

Workers with the city's Department of Environmental Protection and Con Edison were conducting tests in the area Thursday and expect to know if asbestos was present by the afternoon. Officials warned anybody who was near the blast to take off their clothes, seal them in a bag and take a shower.

Given that the pipe was laid in 1932, Con Edison fears it could have contained the cancer-causing material and initial testing does not bode well, said a spokesman with the utility company.

"It’s a 1932 main, [we want to make sure] that we treat this as asbestos," said Con Edison official Sauhil Shukla. "We took samples and we immediately found the zone to be a 'hot zone,' so nobody walks in and out."

Shukla said there was no known impact on gas supply in the area, but electrical wires referred to as feeders were damaged in the explosion. Up to ten steam valves were shut off in the area with impacts to air conditioning and hot water.

Three civilians, a police officer and a Con Edison worker suffered minor injuries during the blast. Smoke continued to drift from the ground several hours into the emergency response which involved more than 130 firefighters and 33 firetrucks. Officials evacuated at 49 nearby buildings, an FDNY spokeswoman said.

Fire officials set up two decontamination stations on Fifth Avenue at 19th and 22nd streets for those who came into contact with the steam, an FDNY spokeswoman said.

This is a developing story refresh this page for updates.

Lead photos used with permission of Patrick Keenan/Veronica Ramirez‏

Noah Mansker contributed reporting to this article