An explosion ripped through the East Village neighborhood of Manhattan on Thursday collapsing two buildings and starting an inferno that quickly spread to neighboring buildings, reports The New York Times.

The raging fire was so intense that firefighters had to withdraw from the buildings at one point and carry out what an official called a "defensive outside attack," by pumping a torrent of water onto the structures.

Residents of the buildings desperately attempted to flee. Many people jumped from fire escapes. Some bystanders performed daring rescues; one man was spotted climbing through the smoke to search for stranded or injured people.

Mayor Bill de Blasio, who held a news conference at the fiery scene, said, "Preliminary evidence suggests a gas-related explosion" was caused by plumbing and gas work conducted at 121 Second Ave., near Seventh Street. The explosion and resulting fire destroyed that structure and caused the collapse of an adjacent building, 123 Second Ave.

CNN reports that the explosion happened at 3:17 p.m. on Thursday about an hour after Consolidated Edison inspectors were looking at a newly installed gas meter at the Second Avenue building.

'[The meter] did not pass our inspection at that time, so it meant it wasn't ready for gas to be introduced," Consolidated Edison President Craig Ivey told CNN.

The cause of the initial explosion and subsequent fire is thought to be a second gas service that was working at the same building.

In the hours following the explosion, fires burned and two other buildings, 119 and 125 Second Ave., were badly damaged.

More than 250 firefighters responded to what quickly became a seven-alarm fire.

Nineteen people are reported injured, including four that were critically injured and four firefighters that were transported to hospitals with minor injuries; and three others refused medical attention at the scene, according to the New York City Fire Department.

At least two people were missing as firefighters continued their attempts to extinguish smoldering pockets of fire in Lower Manhattan on Friday.

One man presumed missing was on a date at the sushi restaurant located at 121 Second Ave. Police say the second missing person is a busboy.