Eight people killed in a suspected gas explosion that leveled two Manhattan apartment buildings died of either blunt trauma, smoke inhalation or burns and were ruled as accidental, officials said Monday, according to CBS News.
The autopsy results were released as investigators continued to examine the circumstances of the blast occurring last Wednesday that also left more than 60 injured, CBS News reported.
Five victims named: Griselde Camacho, Carmen Tanco, Andreas Panagopoulos, George Amadeo and Rosaura Barrios, all died from combinations of blunt trauma injuries to the head, torso and extremities, said medical examiner spokeswoman Julie Bolcer, according to CBS News.
Two others, Rosaura Hernandez and Jordy Salas, died from smoke inhalation and burns, CBS News reported. The eighth victim, identified on Monday as Mayumi Nakamura, died from burns.
Camacho was a Hunter College security officer; Tanco, 67, a dental hygienist who participated in church-sponsored medical missions to Africa and the Caribbean; Panagopoulos, 43, a musician from Greece; Hernandez, 22, a restaurant cook from Mexico; Barrios, 43, the mother of Hernandez; Amadeo, 44, a handyman; and Salas, 22, a restaurant worker. Nakamura, 34, was from Japan, according to CBS News.
The blast erupted about 15 minutes after someone from a neighboring building reported smelling gas, authorities said, according to CBS News.
The National Transportation Safety Board, which investigates pipeline accidents, said Friday that underground tests conducted in the hours after the explosion registered high concentrations of natural gas, CBS News reported.
On Monday, emergency workers continued to sift through debris at the East Harlem site in search of clues that might reveal what caused the blast, according to CBS News. The investigation is focused on basement meters and pipes, and on possible ignition sources, such as light switches, officials said.
The NTSB had been expected to begin pressure-testing pipes Sunday, CBS News reported. An NTSB spokesman declined on Monday to say whether there has been any progress.
