NEW YORK — Temporary boilers were being shuttled into a Bronx city housing complex to restore heat and hot water to residents a day after a massive gas explosion ripped the corner brick chimney off a 20-story apartment building.

City housing officials said investigators were still trying to determine what led to the Wednesday morning explosion that rained bricks and debris on a Mott Haven street and courtyard below.

Miraculously, there no deaths or reported injuries caused by the thunderous explosion, officials said.

“The collapse at Mitchel Houses was a very unfortunate, isolated incident,” a New York City Housing Authority spokesman said in a statement. “We are confident that our city agency partners will thoroughly assess this incident, and we look forward to their findings.”

Workers were conducting a routine safety check on the boilers at a building along Alexander Ave. and E. 138th St. at around 8:15 a.m. when the explosion sent out puffs of steam, smoke, ash and debris — and a huge jolt that building residents felt in their apartments.

Although the collapse was limited to the building’s corner ventilation chimney, residents in apartments closest to damage were temporarily relocated to hotels at the city’s expense.

Those left behind were waiting for heat and hot water to be restored, and were offered hot plates to prepare meals.

“They started giving out these single burners yesterday, last night,” said Eddie Colon, 71, who said he has lived in the building with his wife for 25 years. “I got mine today.”

He said authorities let him and his wife back inside the building, but he said he doesn’t feel safe.

“At first, we thought everyone would have to leave for good, but later they said only certain sides of the building were unsafe,” Colon said. “They let some of us back in once they checked.”

Miosotiz Torres, 54, who has lived in the high-rise for 21 years, said she is now sleeping in the living room — so she can dash out quickly if something else happens. But it’s not easy to sleep after Wednesday’s explosion, she admitted.

“I keep my jacket and my little bag ready by the couch,” Torres said. “I want to be able to grab them and go. But the truth is, I don’t sleep.”

Elevators in the building were working on Thursday, and water had been restored, though none of it was hot.

©2025 New York Daily News. Visit at nydailynews.com. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.