Mott Haven NYCHA building partially collapses
Photo via NYC Emergency Management on X
A high-rise public housing building in Mott Haven partially collapsed on Wednesday morning. The Fire Department arrived at the scene just after 8 a.m. to find the incinerator shaft at 205 Alexander Avenue, a 20-story tower that is part of NYCHA’s Mitchel Houses, had collapsed. Officials said the incident is tied to the chimney connected to the boiler, but an investigation remains underway. No injuries were reported.
The FDNY shared a photo on X of the collapsed incinerator shaft, revealing a gaping hole along the length of the building’s exterior.
“New Yorkers, I have been briefed about the emergency situation taking place in the Mott Haven area of the Bronx,” Mayor Eric Adams said in a post on X. “We are getting a full assessment from first responders and will continue to provide updates. Please avoid the area for your safety.”
Emergency Management, FDNY, and NYPD are conducting an “interagency response” on the scene, according to the city. Con Edison has turned the gas off at the building. A community center at Alexander Avenue has been set up as a temporary shelter.
“Early reports are of an explosion in a building chimney,” Barbara Brancaccio, a spokesperson for NYCHA, told the New York Times in a statement. “Fortunately, no injuries have been reported, and an investigation is underway to determine the cause.”
One witness told CBS she saw the smoke and called 911. “The whole building just, you heard a loud boom, and the thing just exploded, and it fell down just like that.”
The Mitchel Houses are home to roughly 3,500 residents across 10 buildings. NYC Deputy Mayor for Public Safety Kaz Daughtry said residents in “F and G apartments are being evacuated out of an abundance of caution and will be cared for at a nearby community center.”
Daughtry shared the following video of the collapse on X:
🚨 HAPPENING NOW: Our public safety team is responding to a partial building collapse at NYCHA’s Mitchel Houses on Alexander Ave in the Bronx. Thankfully there are no injuries reported at this time. Investigation into the cause is ongoing. Residents in F & G apartments are being… pic.twitter.com/hWbDawD8KH
— Kaz Daughtry (@kazdaughtry) October 1, 2025
In a press conference following the collapse, FNDY Commissioner Robert Tucker said firefighters used dogs to examine the pile of bricks that fell from the structure. Tucker said the ventilation shaft connected to the boiler collapsed, and an investigation is currently underway to determine the cause.
Investigators are looking into whether a safety system failure in the boiler of the building allowed gas to build up in the chamber and travel up the chimney, possibly triggering an explosion when a technician went to turn it on, The City reported. According to the report, there was another explosion in that same boiler room four years ago, but the explosion was contained within the boiler.
Editor’s note: This is a developing story and will continue to be updated.
