An underground steam pipe in Midtown Manhattan ruptured on the early evening of July 18, 2007. The pipe, almost a century old, was located underneath the intersection of Lexington Avenue and Forty-First Street. It was being repaired at the time. Approximately forty pedestrians and drivers were injured by the startling blast, and one woman died from a heart attack after fleeing a block from the explosion. A young tow truck driver and his passenger are the two most seriously injured victims, having been right above the location when the steam pipe ruptured.

Speculations upon the steam pipe’s explosion ranged from corrosion in the pipe to a possibly leaking water main nearby. Steam traps, devices used to drain water from inactive steam pipes, were suspected of malfunction. Abnormally heavy rainfall from that morning and the night before had also been thought to be factors in the explosion. Con Edison, a major power supplier for the New York Metro area, operates the steam system that included the ruptured pipe and has been held responsible for the disaster.