A partial building collapse of a New York City Housing Authority (NYCHA) building in the Mott Haven section of The Bronx on Wednesday morning, Oct. 1, has raised concerns once again around construction and housing safety.

 

When contacted, NYC Department of Buildings (DOB) officials said the Office of Emergency Management (EMS) and DOB inspectors were at the scene, and referred us to NYCHA for more details.

 

New York City Mayor Eric Adams visited the site on Wednesday and said the collapse was due to what appears to be from preliminary investigations, some type of explosion. “This happened at 8:10 this morning. We received reports of an incident involving the chimney to the boiler room here at NYCHA’s Mitchel Houses,” the mayor said. “This resulted in a partial building collapse.”

 

He added that it was extremely fortunate that so far there was no loss of life or injuries reported. “Residents of the F and G lines in the building were evacuated and other tenants can reoccupy the building at this time once we ensure the safety of the structure,” he said. “First responders quickly arrived on the scene. An investigation is currently underway to determine the cause of the incident.”

 

He continued, “All this is [an] unfolding situation at this time, and we want to make sure that people stay away from the area to keep them safe. We have traffic and pedestrian restrictions throughout the area. Guests to the entire complex are shut off right now and inspections of the building are ongoing.”

 

The mayor said it was crucial to ensure that the area was safe. “So, we’re really calling for residents not to go anywhere near the area. I want to thank NYCHA, FDNY, NYPD, NYCEM, DOB, and [the] deputy mayor of Public Safety and Con Edison for their swift response, and as the mayor, it’s my obligation to ensure that the tenants and residents in the area are safe.”

 

Later, when we asked DOB for details of when the last inspection was carried out on the structural integrity of the building, a DOB spokesperson said, “DOB is on site now performing structural inspections. We defer to NYCHA for information on prior structural inspections, and defer to NYCHA for information on investigations into the cause.” NYCHA later shared the following feedback.

According to DOB records, there are 19 violations, some closed, some dismissed, and some open in relation to the facade, elevators and boiler at the location, and civil penalties were due of $31,000.

 

Barbara Brancaccio, a NYCHA spokesperson, later said, “This morning, our heat management team was conducting a routine safety check at Mitchel Houses as is done at every NYCHA boiler plant at every NYCHA development every day. Although Oct. 1 is the start of heat season, this equipment is always turned on and functioning because it provides hot water to the buildings, and is serviced throughout the year and proactively maintained.”

 

The statement continued, “As soon as this incident occurred, NYCHA joined partner agencies including FDNY, NYPD, NYCEM and DOB, as well as Con Edison, to respond. As the investigation is ongoing, we do not yet know the cause of the chimney collapse, but remain committed to transparency, to assisting impacted residents, and to ensuring the safety of residents and of the public.”

The spokesperson said residents on the F and G lines (34 households with 84 residents) have been temporarily relocated for at least two nights. She said while inspections remain ongoing, it is currently believed that the impacts are only to the exterior of the building in the chimney and the boiler room, and that residents will be able to return to their apartments in the coming days.

She said demolition and removal of the remaining parts of the chimney structure will continue this evening, Oct. 1, and likely over the next few days also. She said DOB has a record of the heating plant being inspected in June 2025, and said prior open violations relating to the boilers were non-safety related defects from 2023 that are now not believed to have contributed to the collapse, and are also not believed to have impacted the safe operation of equipment. She said all records continue to be part of the investigation, however.

The spokesperson went on to say that an old stop work order in the DOB system was related to in-unit apartment work from 1999 that was never marked as completed by the contractor, adding that the license holder recently passed away, triggering the DOB system to issue an administrative stop work order for the work, which she said had likely been completed more than two decades ago.

She said an emergency community center is opened at 210 Alexander Avenue for residents, elevators remain operational in the building, gas has been shut down to the entire development and hot plates are being distributed. She said watering stations and mobile boilers are also being staged on site. She said NYCHA was grateful no one was injured and appreciate the partnership of all relevant agencies who joined them in what she said was a quick and efficient response.

 

The American Red Cross later said they registered 31 households, comprising 74 adults and 24 children, for emergency assistance. “In coordination with New York City Housing Authority (NYCHA) and NYC Emergency Management, the Red Cross is continuing to support a reception center at Mitchel Community Center,” Red Cross officials said.

 

They said at the reception center, residents can access recovery resources from government and community organizations, including meals, pantry items, lodging assistance, mental health and health services. They said dinner will also be available this evening for displaced residents.

 

The Red Cross thanked NYCHA, NYC Department of Youth & Community Development, Mosholu Montefiore Community Center, FreshDirect, Rethink Hunger, Hoodspitality, and other partners for their collaboration.

 

As reported, a prior partial building collapse at 1915 Billingsley Terrace in the Morris Heights section of The Bronx on Dec. 11, 2023, which fortunately and miraculously resulted in no injures either, prompted a change in the law instigated by City Council Member Pierina Sanchez (C.D. 14) who represents some or all of Morris Heights. That incident forced over 150 tenants to lose their homes.

 

The councilwoman said the latest partial collapse was a terrifying reminder of what she said were the lethal dangers gas can pose for New Yorkers and the urgent need to address the city’s aging housing stock. “I am deeply grateful that, despite the magnitude of this collapse, there were no injuries or fatalities,” she said.

Sanchez continued “As Chair of the Committee on Housing and Buildings—I have been in communication with the Department of Buildings and other safety agencies, in support of my colleague Deputy Speaker Diana Ayala and local representatives, to ensure residents have answers and support as assessments continue. As someone whose own district experienced the devastating collapse at 1915 Billingsley Terrace—my top priority is and will always be the safety of New Yorkers in their homes.”

She continued, “As we move forward, I remain committed to working with NYCHA, city agencies, and my Council colleagues to invest in safer, more resilient homes for New Yorkers, so no family has to live in fear that their building might fail them.”

It was not the only building tragedy of its kind in recent years. As reported, a 77-year-old woman died in the Longwood section of The Bronx and seven people were injured in January 2022 following an explosion, and in March 2021, as reported, an illegal gas line was eyed as the cause of a Paulding Avenue explosion in Westchester Heights that injured nine people.

 

In February 2021, at least one resident of a Dekalb Avenue building in Norwood had a close call after he said his kitchen exploded for no apparent reason, prompting a substantial response from police, firefighters and paramedics.

 

In November 2024, DOB released the findings of its investigation into the partial building collapse at 1915 Billingsley Terrace in Morris Heights.

 

Bronx Borough President Vanessa Gibson later issued a statement, saying in part, “Our team remains on-site, working closely with residents, their families, elected officials, city agencies, and emergency personnel to ensure residents receive the support they need and to assess the structural safety of the building and surrounding area.”

She said the American Red Cross had set up a reception center at the Mitchel Community Center (210 Alexander Avenue) as NYCHA, FDNY, NYPD, NYC Emergency Management, the Department of Buildings, and Con Edison continue to support impacted tenants.

‘I want to thank our first responders, city agencies, and emergency personnel for their swift and coordinated response as well as our community members who stepped up to help their neighbors safely evacuate,” Gibson said. “In times of crisis, our community consistently rises to the occasion, and we are deeply grateful for their courage, compassion, and heroism.”

She said with the Mott Haven incident being the second partial building collapse in the borough in two years, it was not only alarming but also a call to action and attention. “We will continue to work closely with our agency partners to thoroughly investigate the cause of this collapse and ensure the safety of the tenants at 205 Alexander Avenue as well as provide services to all impacted residents of Mitchel Houses,” she said. “As more information becomes available, we will continue to provide updates.”