Five people were hospitalized after a powerful explosion sparked a major fire at a five-story Bronx apartment building in New York on Wednesday afternoon. According to the Fire Department of the City of New York, two people suffered serious injuries while three others were treated for lighter injuries and remain in stable condition.
The incident occurred at approximately 12:30 p.m. local time on the third floor of the building at 304 East 209th Street, near Parkside Place. The fire quickly spread to the second and third floors within just over an hour, and a floor inside the building collapsed.
Emergency Response and Resident Accounts
About 270 firefighters mobilized at the scene to contain the blaze. An eyewitness in the area said the blast sounded like a bomb exploding. A resident told local media she was standing just a few meters away when the explosion occurred and saw the building become engulfed in flames.
