Surveillance footage obtained by WCBS-TV in New York captures the first moments of the deadly building explosions in East Harlem on Wednesday.
The video cameras, set up across the street from one of the structures, show a man crossing the street and nearly getting knocked off his feet while dodging debris.
“I thought it was an earthquake,” Ibrahim Occasion told WCBS. “It was an explosion, like, connected to your building, so it’s insane stuff.”
Another witness, Mac Mayor, told the station: “I looked up — the building was gone.”
The blast is believed to have been triggered by a gas leak; it killed eight people and left more than 60 injured, CBS News reported.
Here’s a report from WCBS-TV, which adds context and updates: