A thunderous explosion rocked a Chelsea street Saturday night — injuring at least 29 people, blasting out windows and sending scores of panicked pedestrians running for their lives, cops and witnesses said.
The ground-shaking detonation on W. 23rd St. between Sixth and Seventh Aves. was “an intentional act,” Mayor de Blasio said at the scene, adding that the investigation is in its early stages.
“There is no evidence at this point of a terror connection,” the mayor said of the incident, which took place at about 8:30 p.m.
A second device, a pressure cooker with wires and a cell phone attached to it, was found in a white garbage bag four blocks away on W. 27th St., sources said.
There was also a piece of paper in the bag — but it wasn’t clear what was written on it, sources added.
The device was taken to an NYPD firing range on Rodman’s Neck in the Bronx, according to a source.
Police investigated a third suspicious package at W. 28th St. and 5th Ave, but determined at around 3:30 a.m. that it was only a tossed briefcase.
The NYPD asked residents on the torn-up block to stay away from windows facing the street until further notice.
Twenty-four of the 29 victims were rushed to area hospitals with injuries that were not life-threatening, authorities said. One victim was in serious condition.
There were no arrests, according to police.
The blast near a residence for the blind blew out street-level windows and shook buildings blocks away.
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