Originally published on March 13, 2014
The death toll in Wednesday's two-building collapse in New York's Harlem has risen to seven, with four people still missing.
New York rescue personnel spent the morning of March 13 searching the ruins of two collapsed buildings in East Harlem for survivors and bodies.
A large sinkhole — which some residents said they first noticed growing larger several years ago — has made moving heavy machinery into the ruins difficult.
Fires continued to flare up as rescue and construction crews attempted to reach the buildings' basements.
Reuters reports the number of dead has now risen to seven, with between 40 to 70 people injured. Four people remain missing.
It is now also believed that a water main collapse contributed to the disaster.
Officials suspect the water pipe collapsed onto a natural gas pipe, sparking the deadly explosion.
Columbia University says the explosion that leveled the buildings registered at just under 5 on the Richter scale, and dust from the debris filled skies more than a day after the powerful blast.
