A gas line exploded in the Bronx on Sunday, leaving a smoking pit and toxic fumes, injuring five people and sending panicked churchgoers fleeing into the streets.
More than 100 emergency personnel responded to the scene near Bedford Park Boulevard and Decatur Avenue in Bedford Park, authorities said.
Witnesses told amNewYork that foul-smelling smoke drove hundreds of worshippers out of the Indian Orthodox church, some of whom fled in panic, leaving their shoes behind.
The FDNY reported five people were injured, all with minor injuries: three were taken to the hospital and two were treated at the scene.
Firefighters at the scene said several people became ill from the smell of gas, which could be smelled for miles around, the report said.
A representative for Con Edison told PIX11 that 21 customers were left without gas service due to the burst gas line, but that crews were working to restore gas service by the end of the day.
The explosion was reported at 9:40 a.m., and officials deemed the situation “under control” by about 1 p.m. The FDNY said late Sunday that nearby roads had been closed, gas lines had been shut down, and smoke was “dissipating.”
