NTSB: Con Ed, city negligence likely causes of E. Harlem blast

By David Giambusso and Scott Waldman



A gas pipe joint that was poorly welded by Con Edison workers and exacerbated by a sewer main breach neglected by the city for years were the "probable cause" of an explosion last year in East Harlem that killed eight people and injured about 50, the National Transportation Safety Board said in a report released Tuesday.

After more than a year of exhaustive investigation, the NTSB heard hours of testimony Monday at its Washington, D.C., headquarters, where investigators went into painstaking detail about the conditions that led to the March 2014 blast on Park Avenue that destroyed two apartment buildings.

The agency examined almost every variable, including weather conditions, emergency response, nearby construction, road conditions and underground infrastructure, before reaching two overarching conclusions.

http://www.capitalnewyork.com/article/albany/2015/06/8569832/ntsb-con-ed-city-negligence-likely-causes-e-harlem-blast