NEW YORK — At roughly 4:24pm Eastern Time, an explosion of unexplained origins rocked the ruins of Midtown in a startling display of pyrotechnics. As of yet the cause of the explosion is unknoown, but it is believed that the eruption ignited lingering methane gasses in the collapsed sewer portions of the ruins. The explosion happened four blocks west of Ground Zero and the force of the blast allowed it to be seen from as far away as Queens.
Despite the rain falling much of the day, the fires from the explosion have quickly spread to the buildings that suffered only partial burn damages in the aftermath of the bomb. Fire Chief Alonso Morin cites the presence of squatters and vagrants in the ruins' vicinity may have contributed to the fire.
Due to the still dangerous radiation levels present in that portion of Midtown (which was directly in the path of the fallout cloud in 2006) Firefighters have been slow to respond to fighting the blaze, and the fire is expected to burn uncontrolled for several days.
The NYFD is doing all that it can to evacuate residents living in the reclaimed portions near the ruins in the event that the fires do manage to get past NYFD and into the city proper.
Mayor Bianco is pleading with citizens to cooperate with the New York Fire Department in aiding them to help combat the raging inferno, but not to take risks on going into the still irradiated midtown regions of Manhattan. "The concrete barriers are there for a reason," Mayor Bianco is quoted as stating, "NYFD believes they'll serve as a fire wall to help prevent the inferno from spreading into the city. Please remain calm, and pay attention to your local emergency stations for updates."
Estimates currently have the initial explosion at having destroyed an entire city block in the Midtown region, and the fire is set to consume dozens more before the raging fire is even remotely brought under control.
We will have more on this developing story as it comes.