1 Killed, Multiple Injured In Bronx High-Rise Explosion And Fire

BRONX, NY — One person died and more than a dozen were injured Saturday in an explosion and fire at a high-rise apartment building in the Bronx.

According to the New York City Fire Department, crews were investigating a gas odor at 3485 Bivonia St. in the Bronx shortly after midnight when there was a gas explosion on the upper floors.

Officials said firefighters were on the 16th floor of the building when the explosion occurred.

FDNY officials said the explosion sent fire racing through five apartments on the 16th floor and five apartments on the 17th floor. At one point, people were seen leaning out of windows, calling for help as flames engulfed parts of the top floors, officials said.

"It was a very, very dangerous operation for our firefighters, who performed incredibly on those upper floors, searching and protecting civilian life,” said Chief of Department John Esposito.

Authorities did not immediately release information on the person who died. Another person was critically injured, five had serious injuries and eight had minor injuries, officials said.

Officials said the building had been undergoing renovations, and work on the natural gas system had been completed and inspected. The cause of the explosion was under investigation. The building was formerly run by the New York City Housing Authority, but it has been under private management since 2024, city officials said.

"It’s an incredible tragedy. We’re sending all our thoughts to the families involved," Leila Bozorg, deputy mayor for housing and planning, said at a morning news conference.

Mayor Zohran Mamdani said all utilities in the building were shut down, and all 148 apartments vacated. Officials set up a reception center for the displaced residents at a nearby school, and the American Red Cross was there to help provide housing and other needs.

“As you can imagine, this has been a deeply frightening and devastating morning for them," Mamdani said at a news conference Saturday afternoon. "They are not alone. Our city will stand by them and do everything in our power to help them get back on their feet.”

The Red Cross said it had registered more than 100 households and 305 people, including 89 children, for emergency aid by early Saturday afternoon.

More than 200 fire and emergency crews worked the scene, according to the fire department. When the explosion occurred, some firefighters were trapped briefly in an elevator, officials said.

“There were injuries. It was a very, very difficult night on a very cold night, which caused even more difficulty," Fire Commissioner Lillian Bonsignore said.

The Associated Press contributed reporting.