2 bodies pulled from New York East Village explosion rubble

New York Fire Commissioner Daniel Nigro announces the recovery of two bodies — (Image credit: Associated Press/YouTube)

On Sunday, New York City fire fighters pulled two bodies from the wreckage of the three buildings in Manhattan's East Village that collapsed after an explosion on Thursday. The two bodies have been identified as Nicholas Figueroa, 23, and Moises Ismael Locón Yac, 27, the only two people reported missing. Figueroa was on a lunch date at Sushi Park, a restaurant in the building at the center of the explosion, and Yac, a Guatemalan immigrant, was a busboy at the restaurant.

Officials are still investigating the cause of the explosion, but early indications point to unsafe tampering with a gas line in Sushi Park's building at 121 Second Ave. Watch an emotional New York Fire Commissioner Daniel A. Nigro announce the discoveries in the Associated Press video below. —Peter Weber

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Peter has worked as a news and culture writer and editor at The Week since the site's launch in 2008. He covers politics, world affairs, religion and cultural currents. His journalism career began as a copy editor at a financial newswire and has included editorial positions at The New York Times Magazine, Facts on File, and Oregon State University.