LEON HARRIS, CNN ANCHOR: Firefighters and rescue workers are searching the ruins of two collapsed buildings in New York City's borough of Brooklyn for three people who are believed to be missing. Joining us now on the phone is Fire Commissioner Thomas Van Essen to give us an update on the search so far. Commissioner, can you tell us what you've found so far?</s>THOMAS VAN ESSEN, NYFD COMMISSIONER: Well, actually, we're still trying -- still hoping that these three people that we believe are in the building are possibly alive. We just keep working. We've been pulling every brick and piece of wood out by hand, actually, trying not to make the damage any worse and trying to just give them every opportunity. If they're in a little crevice or they've got some protection. and maybe are unconscious and still able to breathe, that we're going to be able to find them, we're hoping.</s>HARRIS: Now we understand that earlier, some people were able to make it out of the building. Can you tell us about them?</s>VAN ESSEN: Yes, there was an odor of gas from people in the building next door. Some people went into the building to check one building out. The others came out of the building as it exploded. So that's why we believe pretty confidently that there are three people in the building. Three people in the building next door were able to get out.</s>HARRIS: Well, this may be a bit premature, but do you have any reason at all to suspect foul play here?</s>VAN ESSEN: No, we really -- we believe that it was a gas explosion, we can't confirm that yet. We're trying to investigate, we'll be looking at it all day today just to confirm it.</s>HARRIS: Well, thank you so much, New York Fire Department Commissioner Thomas Van Essen. We'll let you get back to work, good luck.
NYFD Commissioner Discusses Search for Survivors in Two Collapsed Buildings in Brooklyn