At Least 12 Injured in 7-Alarm Fire and Building Collapse in NYC

Emergency crews responded to a seven-alarm fire after a building collapsed in New York City's lower Manhattan area Thursday, leaving at least 12 people wounded.

The incident took place Thursday afternoon in New York City's East Village when a residential apartment building collapsed shortly after 3 p.m., causing the brick structure to burst into flames.

Footage taken by witnesses shows victims being rushed out of the building and treated by emergency first responders in the street. Photos taken from nearby rooftops show flames from the residential building rising high into the air.

The explosion reportedly took place near the corner of Second Avenue and East 7th Street. The New York Fire Department has deemed the fire a seven-alarm emergency.

"We heard a big sound, then three or four people fell on the street," Shameem Noor, who works at a nearby restaurant, told Reuters.

"People were running and screaming," he said. "There's a big fire on the roof and black smoke."

According to CNN, law enforcement is reporting that at least 12 people were injured in the blaze, four critically. A law enforcement official also told CNN that more victims may still be trapped in the building.

Media outlets are questioning if the building's explosion was caused by a gas leak. A Con Edison spokeswoman told Reuters that law enforcement officials have not been able to identify if the explosion was caused by a gas leak.

Another witness, 25-year-old Luca Babini, told CNN that he felt the blast from his nearby office.

"Everything, my shelf in my office and my computer screen fell down," he said. "They say it was a gas leak."

"I saw a lot of people lined up at the streets trying to help," he added.