25 hurt in possible blast in New York – fire department

NEW YORK, United States — An explosion that shook New York’s crowded Chelsea neighborhood injured 25 people, firefighters said Saturday.

“Twenty-five injuries to civilians confirmed at 133 W 23 St in Chelsea. None appear to be life-threatening at this time,” the Fire Department NY tweeted.

“Explosion happened at roughly 8:30pm (0030 GMT Sunday – 8:30 a.m., Manila time) on 23rd St between 6th and 7th avenues,” in Manhattan, spokesman J. Peter Donald tweeted. “Several injured transported to area hospitals.”

The cause of the blast remains unknown, but some local media and social media reports said it appeared to come from a dumpster.

The fire department was at the site of the blast, an area of many restaurants, bars, theaters and apartments. The New York police counterterrorism unit was also on site, and police blocked off the area around the scene.

The blast comes after a pipe bomb exploded in a garbage can in Seaside Park, New Jersey during a Marine Corps charity run. It caused no injuries but forced officials to cancel the event.

The New Jersey explosion was set for the moment that thousands of runners would be passing the can – but there were no casualties because the race was delayed, said Al Della Fave, a spokesman for the Ocean County prosecutor.

There were up to four timed explosives but only one detonated, Fave told CNN./rga

Police and firefighters work near the scene of an apparent explosion in Manhattan’s Chelsea neighborhood, in New York, Saturday, Sept. 17, 2016. A law enforcement official tells The Associated Press that an explosion in the Chelsea neighborhood appears to have come from a construction toolbox in front of a building. The official spoke on condition of anonymity because the person wasn’t authorized to speak about an ongoing investigation. More than two dozen people have sustained minor injuries in the explosion on West 23rd Street.(AP Photo/Andres Kudacki)