A ventilation shaft at a public housing building in the south Bronx collapsed Wednesday morning, forcing some residents to evacuate, but injuring no one, authorities said.

Emergency crews responded to reports of an explosion at NYCHA’s Mitchel Houses in Mott Haven just after 8 a.m., FDNY Commissioner Robert Tucker said at a news briefing.

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A ventilation shaft at a NYCHA building in the south Bronx collapsed Wednesday morning, forcing some residents to evacuate, but injuring no one, authorities said

Residents along the building’s F and G lines were evacuated, and a reception center with Red Cross assistance was set up at the Mitchell Community Center

Inspectors are checking the building’s safety while crews work to clear debris and restore heat, hot water and gas service

FDNY units arrived within four minutes of the first call and found that a ventilation shaft connected to a boiler had collapsed, he said.  

In a statement, NYCHA said early reports pointed to an explosion in the building’s chimney as the possible cause, but noted that an investigation is ongoing.

Residents living in apartments along the building’s F and G lines were evacuated, Mayor Eric Adams said. Street closures and traffic restrictions remain in place while inspections continue.

“We are extremely fortunate. At this time, we have no loss of life or no injuries,” he said.

“This is an all-hands-on-deck moment, and we avoided a major disaster here,” Bronx Borough President Vanessa Gibson added.

“We’re anticipating that most of the residents will be able to go back, with the exception of F and G, which we have inspectors — engineering inspectors — conducting an assessment of those units now, just because they were in close proximity to the chimney. But it is anticipated that the yellow units should be fine and that people can go back,” City Councilmember Diana Ayala, who represents the Bronx district, said.

Officials have set up a reception center for impacted residents at the Mitchell Community Center on Alexander Avenue, New York City Emergency Management Commissioner Zach Iscol said.

Tenants can register with the Red Cross there and receive assistance if longer-term relocation becomes necessary, Iscol said.

The Red Cross said it has registered 31 households for emergency assistance, including 74 adults and 24 children.

The FDNY is responding to a partial building collapse at 207 Alexander Avenue in the Bronx. pic.twitter.com/Gxuf1re87u

— FDNY (@FDNY) October 1, 2025

Crews from the Department of Buildings, NYCHA and Con Edison are inspecting the complex’s foundation, apartments and utility lines, he said.

Work to remove remnants of the building’s chimney is expected to happen Wednesday afternoon, followed by efforts to restore heat, hot water and cooking gas to the complex, he added.

Gibson said many residents had already left for work or school when the incident occurred. 

She stressed that the top priority is ensuring the building remains structurally sound and safe for residents.

“There is a lot of concern, a lot of anxiety from the residents that live here at Mitchel about what happens in the long term,” she said.

“And so over the next several hours as inspectors are in the building, we will do everything possible to make sure that we minimize the disruption and the anxiety of the residents and the families here in this working-class community,” she added.

In a statement, Gov. Kathy Hochul said she had been briefed on the collapse. 

“Relieved that no one was injured and grateful to our first responders,” she said.

Resident Merlyn Olido told NY1 it felt like the building was shaking.

“This morning, like around 8:18 a.m., I [felt] like the building was shaking. I thought it was an earthquake. I said, ‘Oh my God, I don’t want to feel that.’ And I started jumping, but I [heard] a big boom. So I [said], ‘No, but this is something like a bomb,’” she said.

Olido lives on the second floor of the partially collapsed building.

“I go back inside to knock on the door of the neighbor, and my second floor is a lot of old people. And I [said], ‘OK, the building is collapsing, so [you’ve] got to go out of there,’” she said.

Olido said she has medication in her apartment she needs to take but had not been able to get back in all day because inspectors were checking to make sure the building was structurally sound.

Linda Duke has lived in the building for over 60 years. She told NY1 about the harrowing scene.

“You’re looking out the window, all you see is smoke. You don’t see [anything] else, and not a happy situation, because I’m there by myself,” she said.

Duke said she has a family she can stay with.

“My concern is more [about] where the other people’s going. I got somewhere to go,” Duke said.

The residents of at least 40 units will not be able to return to their apartments for some time.

There were three open violations on boilers in the building, but fire marshals have not yet announced any conclusion as to what led to the explosion. The investigation is ongoing.