The explosions took place at around 6.40am EST.
The Flatiron commercial neighborhood is home to the city’s tallest apartment buildings and office high-rises.
Staff from the Office of Emergency Management and the New York Fire Department’s hazmat team were rushed to the scene.
The blast created a large hole in the middle of Fifth Avenue, sending chunks of asphalt into the street.
Reports claim that multiple manholes exploded between West 19th Street to West 21st Street.
No injuries have been immediately reported, but surrounding streets have been cordoned off.
Police are stopping people from entering the area.
A steam pipe exploded in the Flatiron District, shutting down the bustling as Thursday’s morning rush hour commenced.
Authorites have alunched an investigation into the explosions.
Reports from those nearby claim smoke was still spewing rapidly from the ground an hour aftet the explosion took place.
Smoke turned from white, to grey and then black and continued to alternate colors.
The changing colour of the smoke plumes indicates the possibility of a fire underground
The blast comes almost exactly 11 years to the day of a steam pipe explosion near Grand Central on July 18, 2007.
Reports at the time stated thatt the explosion sent debris shooting 40 stories in the air with mud raining from the sky.
That explosion was caused by a 83-year-old underground pip near the city’s famous train station.
Local travel updates advise New Yorkers that West 19th Street to West 23rd Street, from 6th Avenue to Broadway, is closed off to traffic.
On subway, R and W trains are bypassing 23 St in both directions because of on going Fire Department investigations on 5th Avenue and 21 Street.
Twitter user Cassie Jordan, who also works for the social media company’s offices in the busy district, tweeted: “Some kind of explosion on Broadway and 21st.”
She posted the alert along with a video, before telling New York Daily News that plumes of smoke were “coming from below the street.”
There are suspicions that the explosion was cause by steam pipes that are used iN Manhattan to heat and colol down high rises – some of which are
New York City steam system under the streets of Manhattan which is used to heat and cool high rises. The Flatiron building itself is 22 floors high.
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