Two young women were hospitalized, one with critical injuries, when the cover to an air vent inside a Midtown parking garage mysteriously exploded, sending chunks of debris in their direction, officials said Friday. FDNY officials believe the explosion may have been sparked by a generator malfunction inside the building. The two victims, both 25, were inside the parking garage on E. 53rd St. near Lexington Ave. at about 9 p. m. Thursday when the blast occurred. The cover to an air vent blew off, striking the two women as they walked through the garage, cops said. Witness Carlos Nanez saw the vent fly through the air before crashing into the unsuspecting women. He rushed over and found one of the victims lying on the floor, not moving. “It was scary, it was very scary,” he told WPIX 11 News. “The first thing I did was call EMS, I called 911, for the girls because I saw the girl was not responding, not moving.” EMS took the two women to New York-Presbyterian Weill Cornell Medical Center, where one was initially listed in critical condition, an FDNY spokesman said. No other injuries were reported.
https://www.nydailynews.com/2025/11/21/midtown-parking-garage-explosion-injures-2-women-one-critically/