At about 3:20pm today, an explosion and fire overtook 212 Second Ave in the East Village. The building’s owned by Mah Realty and has a retail space on the ground floor with residential units on the upper floors. The fire spread next door to 123 Second Ave, where the popular Pommes Frites Belgian fries shop has a retail space. 121 Second Ave partially collapsed as it burned. At least 12 people were hurt, DNAinfo reports. No word yet on a cause, but authorities have said it looks consistent with a gas explosion. ConEd has shut down gas service nearby. As of 5:30pm, Second Aveue near East 7th St is shut down and filled with emergency vehicles. [DNAinfo]
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