Two women were injured in a Manhattan parking garage explosion late night Thursday, police said.
According to the NYPD, an emergency diesel generator exploded shortly after 9 p.m. at 153 E 53rd St. That explosion prompted a steel exhaust vent to rocket across the street and hit two 25-year-old women who were walking by, causing serious injuries to one and minor injuries to the other. Although both are expected to recover.
“When they got here they found that there were two civilians that were injured across the street and there was some sort of backdraft or a back puff of the generator that caused the vent assembly to explode and come off of the building, propel across the street into the two individuals,” FDNY Deputy Chief Joseph Abbamonte.
Video from the scene shows a large fire and police presence with debris scattered across the Midtown street.
The structural integrity of the building is fine and there is only minor damage around the vent, according to the Department of Buildings — reason why the building is not roped off.
Although no criminality is suspected at this time, police said that the investigation into the cause of the explosion is ongoing.