Early A.M. Gas Tank Explosion Seriously Injures Two In Midtown: FDNY

MIDTOWN, NY — A gas tank exploded on a construction site and injured three people early Wednesday morning, leaving two with serious injuries, according to officials.

Firefighters responded to a 6:30 a.m. call at 550 Madison Ave., a 37-story commercial building near East 55th Street, reporting that an acetylene gas tank had exploded, according to FDNY officials.

According to a preliminary Buildings Department report, a worker was using a reciprocating saw to open a box where an acetylene tank was being improperly stored and was leaking. The Sawzall tool caused sparks which ignited the explosion, officials said.

The explosion injured three workers, the fire department said, sending two in serious, but stable, condition to Bellevue and Cornell Hospital.

A hazmat team was called in to secure the tank and Buildings inspectors issued violations and a stop work order for all "hot work" operations — anything involving sparks or flames — at the building after determining that the contractor failed to comply with fire code regulations.

Additionally, inspectors found that an elevator used for construction work had an expired permit and issued an additional partial stop work order prohibiting its use, officials said.

550 Madison Ave. was built in 1984 as the headquarters for AT&T, then Sony, and is known for its iconic pediment at the top of the building. It was landmarked by the city's Landmark and Preservation Committee in 2018.