A FOUR-STORY BUILDING COLLAPSED IN MANHATTAN ON MONDAY AND INJURED 15 PEOPLE AFTER AN APPARENT GAS EXPLOSION THAT MAY HAVE RESULTED FROM A FAILED SUICIDE ATTEMPT, REUTERS REPORTED. WITNESSES REPORTED A DEAFENING EXPLOSION BEFORE THE BUILDING CAME CRASHING DOWN, SHATTERING WINDOWS ACROSS THE STREET. SMOKE BILLOWED FROM THE DEBRIS THROUGHOUT A FRANTIC RESCUE OPERATION AND CONTINUED TO EMERGE FOR HOURS AFTER THE MORNING BLAST. TEN FIREFIGHTERS AND FIVE CIVILIANS WERE INJURED. "I SAW THE BUILDING GO UP IN SUCH FLAMES AND CALLED TO MY WIFE TO GO RUNNING," SAID YAAKOV KERMAIER, WHO LIVES NEXT DOOR. "I RAN INTO THE BUILDING (NEXT DOOR) TO GET MY BABY." NEIGHBORS HAD REPORTED A STRONG SMELL OF GAS BEFORE THE EXPLOSION, THE GAS UTILITY COMPANY SAID. THE GAS LEAK MAY HAVE BEEN THE RESULT OF A SUICIDE ATTEMPT BY THE BUILDING'S OWNER, NEW YORK FIRE COMMISSIONER NICHOLAS SCOPPETTA TOLD REPORTERS ON THE SCENE. --MORE 11/07/2006 00:02 ت م
