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NEW YORK (AP) — The Latest on a Manhattan steam pipe explosion (all times local):
4:15 p.m.
New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo says he has directed the Department of Public Service to conduct a full investigation into the cause of the steam pipe explosion in Manhattan.
The Democratic governor also said the probe would determine whether any utility activities contributed to the explosion early Thursday, which caused the evacuation of 49 buildings.
No serious injuries were reported.
Officials warned that asbestos was found around the aging steam pipe, although the air was considered safe.
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2:20 p.m.
Mayor Bill de Blasio says asbestos has been found around the aging steam pipe that exploded in Manhattan, but he says the air is safe.
Officials already had been warning people who may have gotten material on them to bag their clothes and shower immediately because of the possibility of the cancer-causing substance. Firefighters took that precaution and responders' vehicles were hosed off. Responders were also wearing face masks in the so-called hot zone.
Office of Emergency Management Commissioner Joseph Esposito warned earlier Thursday that if tests came back positive for asbestos the cleanup could take days.
The mayor says streets will likely be closed for a few days in the area of the blast early Thursday under 21st Street at Fifth Avenue. The explosion caused the evacuation of 49 buildings but no serious injuries were reported.
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10:50 a.m.
New York City Fire Commissioner Daniel Nigro (NY'-groh) says five people have minor injuries and 28 buildings have been evacuated following a steam pipe explosion in Manhattan.
The injured included three civilians.
Nigro said Thursday that the buildings will "remain evacuated for a while."
Office of Emergency Management Commissioner Joseph Esposito says that if asbestos is found at the scene, the cleanup could take days.
The executive director of a business improvement district says dozens of businesses are affected.
An executive with energy company Con Edison says the effects of the shutdown include loss of air conditioning and hot water.
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10:30 a.m.
The executive director of a business improvement district says dozens of businesses are affected by a Manhattan steam pipe explosion.
Jennifer Brown, of the Flatiron 23rd Street Partnership, has been surveying the surrounding area in the hours after the 6:40 a.m. blast on Thursday.
There were no immediate reports of injuries.
Brown says a wide variety of businesses, from restaurants to retailers, were closed along Broadway and Fifth Avenue from 19th to 23rd streets. The blast also affected larger buildings with commercial office space.
The partnership had public safety officers, a clean team and other forms of assistance at the ready.
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8:40 a.m.
The Fire Department of New York says a high-pressure steam leak has caused street closings in Manhattan's Flatiron District.
There were no immediate reports of injuries. Buildings along several blocks of Fifth Avenue have been evacuated as a precaution.
The steam leak was reported at around 6:40 a.m. on Thursday.
Broadcast images showed a large plume of white steam billowing high into the air and the red flashing lights of responder vehicles.
WABC says the blast blew a hole in the middle of Fifth Avenue, sending chunks of asphalt into the street. It says there also were manhole explosions from West 19th Street to West 21st streets.
Some subway trains were bypassing the area.
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7:50 a.m.
The Fire Department of New York says a high-pressure steam leak has caused street closings in Manhattan's Flatiron District.
There were no immediate reports of injuries. Surrounding buildings have been evacuated as a precaution.
The steam leak was reported at around 6:40 a.m. on Thursday.
Broadcast images showed a large plume of white steam billowing high into the air and the red flashing lights of responder vehicles.
WABC says the blast blew a hole in the middle of Fifth Avenue, sending chunks of asphalt into the street. It says there also were manhole explosions from West 19th Street to West 21st streets.
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