Northern Boulevard Collapse Ruptures Gas, Water Lines: FDNY

ELMHURST, QUEENS — A large chunk of Northern Boulevard in Elmhurst collapsed Friday in a construction accident that ruptured gas and water lines in the area, an FDNY spokesman said.

Firefighters responded to Northern Boulevard between 112th and 114th streets around 2:15 p.m. following an accident at a nearby construction site, an FDNY spokesman said. About a dozen fire units worked with Con Edison employees to shut off a water line that had been punctured and was leaking, the spokesman said.

The Con Edison gas main was ruptured when parts of the street collapsed into the construction site, a spokesman for the utilities company said. The company shut down the valves feeding the main and the pipe is no longer pressurized, the spokesman said.

Con Edison customers will not be affected by the accident, the utilities company spokesman said.

Firefighters are checking properties surrounding the scene of the accident and anywhere where nearby residents are reporting an odor of gas. Nobody was injured during the accident, an FDNY spokesman said.

Photos by FDNY