Residents of a NYC public housing tower escape unharmed after a massive chimney collapses

NEW YORK (AP) — A massive brick chimney running 20 stories up the side of a New York City apartment building collapsed after an explosion Wednesday, sending tons of debris plummeting to the ground.

The falling bricks buried a sidewalk, landed on the playground of the public housing building and sent a cloud of dust billowing over the block in the Bronx, but amazingly did not injure anyone.

“We avoided a major disaster here,” said Bronx Borough President Vanessa Gibson at a news conference.

Mayor Eric Adams confirmed no injuries or deaths were reported in the collapse of the chimney, which rose up the side of the building from the boiler room. Authorities learned of an explosion just after 8 a.m. and were trying to determine if there had been a gas leak.

The mayor noted that Oct. 1 is typically the first day that heating systems are turned on for the season.

One resident, Merlyn Olivo, said she was in her apartment when she heard a large noise like a bomb.

“And the building was shaking a lot. I was so scared," she said, feeling like it was “the end of the world.”

Olivo heard another loud noise and then her sister-in-law, who lives across the street, told her to get out of the building because of the collapse outside. Luckily, her daughters had left for school.

The mound of debris was littered with air conditioners, which appeared to have been ripped out of apartment windows by the falling bricks. News helicopter footage showed a rescue dog bounding over the huge pile of bricks at the bottom of the building, sniffing for anyone who might be buried under the rubble.

Olivo didn’t know when she might get back into the building, or whether she wanted to.

“I don’t feel safe to go in there,” she said. “I’m scared, super scared.”

City officials in charge of public buildings said they were investigating to see what went wrong, and Department of Buildings Commissioner James Oddo said he believed work was being done on the boiler.

Some apartments were being evacuated as a precaution and services for residents were being made available at a nearby community center, officials said.

The city’s Emergency Management Commissioner, Zach Iscol, said building inspectors are checking the building’s foundations and the apartments in the impacted area to make sure they are sound. The mayor said the building will be repaired.

Around half a million New Yorkers live in aging buildings run by the city's housing authority, known as NYCHA, which is the largest in the nation.

Many of the properties date back to the 1940s, ’50s and ’60s. In 2019, a federal monitor was appointed to address chronic problems like lead paint, mold and lack of heat. When he wrapped his five-year term in 2024, the monitor, Bart Schwartz, noted that the overarching issue for residents remained the “poor physical state of NYCHA’s buildings.”

Associated Press writers Dave Collins in Hartford, Connecticut, Michael Hill in Albany, New York, and Bruce Shipkowski in Toms River, New Jersey, contributed.

People take a look at part of a building that collapsed in the Bronx borough of New York, Wednesday, Oct. 1, 2025. (AP Photo/Eduardo Munoz Alvarez)

Firefighters work near the site of a building collapse in the Bronx borough of New York, Wednesday, Oct. 1, 2025. (AP Photo/Eduardo Munoz Alvarez)

Firefighters stand on the roof of a building that partially collapsed in the Bronx borough of New York, Wednesday, Oct. 1, 2025. (AP Photo/Eduardo Munoz Alvarez)

Firefighters work near the site of a building collapse in the Bronx borough of New York, Wednesday, Oct. 1, 2025. (AP Photo/Eduardo Munoz Alvarez)

Firefighters work near the site of a building collapse in the Bronx borough of New York, Wednesday, Oct. 1, 2025. (AP Photo/Eduardo Munoz Alvarez)

This image provided by the Fire Department of New York, FDNY shows part of a high-rise apartment building that collapsed, leaving a corner of the building in a pile of rubble, in New York, Wednesday, Oct. 1, 2025. (FDNY via AP)

PARIS (AP) — With Paris Saint-Germain given the weekend off to prepare for its trip to Liverpool in the Champions League, there will be no top-of-the-table clash against Lens this weekend.

The French league controversially postponed the 1st vs. 2nd encounter following a request from PSG. Initially set for April 11, it fell between PSG’s two quarterfinal legs against Liverpool and will now be played on May 13.

Victory would have allowed Lens — which opposed the change — to close the gap to one point on leader PSG, which has played one less game.

Instead, the focus this weekend will be on the battle for third place, which secures automatic entry into the Champions League next season, while the team in fourth enters qualifying.

It promises to be an exciting race to the line with Lille, Marseille, Monaco, Lyon and Rennes all in contention.

Third-placed Lille and seventh-placed Rennes are separated by three points with six rounds left.

Fourth-placed Marseille and fifth-place Monaco are level on points.

Marseille needs to bounce back from last weekend's loss to Monaco with a home win over rock-bottom Metz. Monaco is on a seven-game winning streak in the league as it heads to face Paris FC. Both games are on Friday.

Rennes hosts Angers on Saturday while Lille goes to midtable Toulouse on Sunday.

Sixth-place Lyon bids to end a nine-match winless run in all competitions when it hosts Lorient on Sunday. The goals have dried up for Lyon with only three scored in the past six games.

Monaco forward Folarin Balogun is in superb form and scored a contender for goal of the season last weekend, finishing off a driving run with a deft lob from the edge of the penalty area.

His teammate Paul Pogba could make a long-awaited comeback in midfield following a lengthy injury layoff due to a persistent left calf problem. He has played only about 30 minutes with Monaco since his debut near the end of November.

Striker Esteban Lepaul's clinical finishing has helped Rennes make a late push for a European spot and he co-tops the French league scoring charts with 16 goals.

Bradley Barcola could return for PSG from a right ankle injury sustained in the Champions League last month against Chelsea.

Monaco's Brazilian fullbacks Caio Henrique and Vanderson are still recovering from hamstring injuries picked up in a win over PSG last month.

PSG midfielder Fabián Ruiz remains sidelined with a knee injury from a Champions League game against Sporting Lisbon in January.

Strasbourg striker Joaquín Panichelli is out for the rest of the season after rupturing his right ACL. Panichelli still co-tops the French league scoring charts.

PSG fans might have been celebrating when Emmanuel Grégoire won the Paris mayoral race last month,

It's potentially great news for the club because, unlike his predecessor Anne Hidalgo, Grégoire is in favor of PSG expanding its stadium rather than having to relocate.

The Parc des Princes Stadium holds about 48,500 spectators and the club wants a minimum 60,000-seat capacity.

However, that would require Paris City Hall — which owns the stadium — to sell it to PSG. Hidalgo was deeply opposed, leaving PSG having to build a new stadium elsewhere to get a bigger capacity. That would mean moving out of the city and into the outskirts, in Passy or Massy, which would displease its historical fan base.

But Grégoire is open to selling and was seen at the stadium last Friday when PSG beat Toulouse 3-1.

AP soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccer

Unites States' Folarin Balogun speaks during a news conference before the men's national soccer team training, Friday, March 27, 2026, in Marietta, Ga. (AP Photo/Ronald Blum

Lille's Olivier Giroud, center, celebrates with teammates at the end of the French League One soccer match between Lille and Lens, in Lille, France, Saturday, April 4, 2026. (AP Photo/Jean-Francois Badias)

Lens' head coach Pierre Sage applauds to supporters at the end of the French League One soccer match between Lille and Lens, in Lille, France, Saturday, April 4, 2026. (AP Photo/Jean-Francois Badias)

PSG players celebaret after a goal during a League One soccer match between Paris Saint-Germain and Toulouse in Paris, France, Friday, April 3, 2026. (AP Photo/Emma Da Silva)