Four apartment buildings in New York's East Village caught fire in an apparent gas explosion and three collapsed, causing 19 injuries, authorities said.
The blast shortly after 3pm local time sent flames leaping into the sky and rocked the residential area in Manhattan.
New York Mayor Bill de Blasio told a news conference that preliminary evidence indicated it was a gas-related explosion.
A Fire Department spokesman said that three of the four buildings had collapsed or partially collapsed.
The fourth building "is still involved with some pockets offire, it's still an active scene. Investigation is still ongoing," he said.
Nineteen people were hurt. Four, all civilians, were in critical condition, the spokesman said.
The Con Edison utility said in a statement that its inspectors had been at the site to evaluate work a plumber was doing in a building for a gas service upgrade.
The work failed to pass inspection, it said.
The seven-alarm blaze in the neighborhood of small businesses, restaurants and apartments involved more than 250 Fire Department personnel.
The four buildings contain 49 apartments, according to a spokesman for the American Red Cross at the scene.
The ground floors were occupied by small restaurants.
