Steam pipe explodes in N.Y.

At left, firefighters search a school bus parked in the middle of gushing steam and debris after an underground steam pipe exploded Wednesday in midtown Manhattan during the evening rush hour, sending residents running for cover. A plume of steam and mud shot from the center of the blast, generating a tremendous roar. The initial burst of steam rose higher than the nearby 77-story Chrysler Building, one of Manhattan's tallest buildings. Below, a man who was near the steam explosion is covered in debris as he walks away from the scene. Sixteen people were taken to a hospital, including one who died. New York Police Department spokesman Paul Browne said the explosion was not terrorism. "There is no reason to believe whatsoever that this is anything other than a failure of our infrastructure," Mayor Michael Bloomberg said at a news conference at the scene of the blast.