Adjoining residential buildings in New York East Harlem neighborhood exploded and collapsed , killing at least five people and injuring dozens.
The explosion sparked a fire in what remained of the five - storey buildings , smoke engulfing the area around 116th Street and Park Avenue.
Dozens of fire crews fight blaze amid fears that the near collapse of structures .
Piles of debris including bricks and wood were strewn on footpaths nearby.
New York Mayor Bill de blasyo seen the blast was caused by a gas leak .
He said the energy company Con Edison received a call alerting a possible gas leak at 9:13 ( local time) , 15 minutes before the blast .
Local residents also raised the gas smell in the area.
Mr de blasyo and continuing population loss and finding the point of rubble would be made once the fire is extinguished.
He kautyoned that some of the missing may just be safer somewhere else and out of touch .
"This is a tragedy of the worst kind , because there are no symptoms in time to save the people , " he said.
" There is a significant amount of anxiety, but suffice it to say that every effort is being used to get each and every one of these ( missing ) people . "
Mr de blasyo did was " very hard impact " on the buildings that surrounded the two that fall , and that 250 firefighters were present in the area.
Witness Robert Santiago told CBS television that he had been asleep when the blast shook his bed and the floor.
"I thought the world was coming to an end , an earthquake or something like that . Terrible, " he said.
Another witness who lived across the street told the channel he saw a building fire and that his relatives who live far too felt the blast .
"I saw a woman running with no shoes. Was crazy was like a battlefield. , " He said.
" First of all , I think the earthquake. I got a call from my family who felt it too and that is all the way to town . Man , it's crazy. "
Metropolitan Transportation Authority suspended all train service in and out of Grand Central Terminal for several hours due to an explosion next to his songs .
