Aftermath Of Steam Pipe Explosion
The city is still reeling after yesterdays steam-pipe explosion blew a 15-by-25-foot crater in a Midtown street, shooting near-boiling water and [debris 120 feet] into the air. With talk of [al-Qaeda returning to its 2001](http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/07/11/AR2007071102443_pf.html) strength and an attack on the United States looming, many feared yesterdays accident was a [terrorist attack](http://www.nypost.com/seven/07192007/news/regionalnews/it_rained_mud__bricks_______you_couldnt_see_regionalnews_tom_liddy_______and_hasani_gittens.htm). But Mayor Bloomberg quickly ruled that out, saying instead that the blast may have been caused by cold water seeping into the pipe. Con Ed Chairman Kevin Burke, however, insisted that the area had been checked because of yesterday mornings heavy rains, and no steam problems were found: In this location, it was clear.
Tell that to the [57-year-old woman who died] of a heart attack, and the 30-plus other people who were hurt. Thousands were evacuated from nearby streets and Grand Central Terminal, and the area between East 40th and 43rd streets and Vanderbilt and Third Avenues was deemed a frozen zone, closed to both residents and cars.
The blast recalled a similar [1989 incident], which killed three people in the Gramercy Park neighborhood and left the air contaminated with asbestosa fact that Con Ed later admitted concealing for days while residents were exposed. The 83-year-old pipe to blame for yesterdays mayhem was installed in 1924, when asbestos was still being used, and indeed, [asbestos has been found](http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20070719/ap_on_re_us/manhattan_explosion;_ylt=Ah5PL34MgmqnF.Qat27ov52s0NUE) in the dust that settled, though city officials announced today that tests indicated the [air is safe](http://www.amny.com/news/local/newyork/am-air0720,0,1207253.story?coll=am-topheadlines) of the carcinogen. Of course, thats what they said about the [air after 9/11](http://select.nytimes.com/search/restricted/article?res=F00E15F7355A0C758EDDAF0894DF404482). Needless to say, [asbestos is bad news](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mesothelioma). Residents in the area were told to keep windows closed, and anyone near the site were instructed to wash carefully and [seel the clothing](http://www.1010wins.com/pages/696422.php?contentType=4&contentId=701365) they were wearing in plastic bags.
The New York Post spoke to one woman who says shed been calling Con Ed for months with concerns over steam escaping from the very spot where yesterdays explosion occurred. Click [here] to read her claims.
Shortly after the incident yesterday, subway service on the 4, 5 and 6 lines was disrupted until recently. Today, much of the area around Grand Central remains closed. New York City Transit says its crews have examined the tunnels in the vicinity of the explosion and their structure is intact. Power was restored to all tracks in the area at 11:50 last night. Service on the Lexington Avenue line has been restored, but the 4, 5, and 6 trains are bypassing Grand Central, as is the 7 train. Click [here] for more information on commuter trains and closed streets.
Relieved you werent there but have the perverse urge to see all the bloody, scared, titillated and/or pissed off people who were? Click [here] and [here](http://www.1010wins.com/pages/695562.php). And of course, theres already a [Wikipedia page](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2007_New_York_City_steam_explosion) offering more information on the explosion.