Home Collapses in Syracuse, Injuring at Least 10, Officials Say

A house collapsed in Syracuse, N.Y., on Tuesday afternoon, injuring at least 10 people, including children, as firefighters continued to search for more possible victims trapped in the rubble.

Firefighters responded to reports of an explosion and a building collapse just after 4 p.m., Michael Monds, the Syracuse fire chief, said at a news conference.

Twelve people were believed to have been trapped inside the wood home when fire crews arrived, the chief said. Ten of those, including several children, were taken to the hospital in varying conditions as firefighters continued to search the ruins of the home, where they believed two people remained, the chief said.

The conditions of the victims were not known, but the chief said that two were in “very serious” condition.

Up to 20 people were believed to have been living in the home.

Several victims were extricated from an occupied car buried under the rubble, Chief Monds said. It was unclear if the car had crashed into the home, he added, and officials were still investigating the cause of the collapse.

“When we arrived there was a heavy odor of gas and power lines down,” the chief said, “but other than that I have no other information on any possible causes.”