Rescuers have found an eighth body in the remains of two New York City apartment buildings destroyed by a blast caused by a gas leak Wednesday.
At least nine others are still missing and 63 people were hurt. But hopes of finding anyone else alive are fading.
New York Mayor Bill de Blasio said investigators can get conclusive evidence of what caused the gas leak only when the fire is totally out and the rescue effort is complete.
The blast sent debris over several blocks across the neighborhood and a nearby commuter rail line, suspending train service in and out of Grand Central Station for much of the day.
Residents in a nearby building called officials at energy company Consolidated Edison to report the smell of natural gas just minutes before the explosion.
Mayor de Blasio called the incident "a tragedy of the worst kind" because it happened with no time to save people.
