Midtown parking garage explosion injures 2 women, one critically

Two young women were hospitalized, one seriously injured, when the cover of an air vent inside a Midtown parking garage mysteriously exploded, sending pieces of debris in their direction, officials said Friday.

FDNY officials believe the explosion may have been triggered by a generator malfunction inside the building.

The two victims, both 25 years old, were inside the parking lot on E. 53rd St. near Lexington Ave. around 9 p.m. Thursday when the explosion occurred.

The cover of an air vent blew off, striking the two women as they walked through the garage, police said.

Witness Carlos Nanez saw the blowhole fly through the air before crashing into the unsuspecting women. He rushed over and found one of the victims lying on the ground, motionless.

“It was scary, it was very scary,” he told WPIX 11 News. “The first thing I did was call for help, I called 911, for the girls because I saw that the girl wasn’t responding, wasn’t moving.”

EMS took both women to Weill Cornell Presbyterian Medical Center in New York, where one of them was initially listed in critical condition, an FDNY spokesperson said.

No other injuries were reported.

FDNY firefighters were tasked with determining the cause of the explosion.