2007 Steam Main Explosion Site

 explosion site, historical layer / disappeared object

Just before 6PM on July 18, 2007 a 24-inch underground steam main beneath Lexington Avenue suffered a catastrophic failure, causing an enormous explosion that sent a 40-story-high geyser of mud, debris and pressurized steam into the air. The towering cloud of steam persisted for at least two hours before the main was shut down, and reached higher than the nearby 1,047-foot tall Chrysler Building and left a 35ft by 15ft deep crater in the street.

One person died as a result of the explosion and there were 45 injuries, the most critical of which were two people severely scalded when the tow truck they were riding in fell into the crater immediately after the rupture. Con Edison's investigations into the cause of the blast indicate the 83 year-old pipe experienced a sudden over pressurization, possibly from a water hammer, which led to its failure.