911 - Explosions in Lower Manhattan

“Gas Lines”, “Car Bombs”, and “Overheated Cars that Explode” - Enumerating Erroneous Explosions in Lower Manhattan

Culhavoc
Feb 11th, 2006
This is a partially cumulative follow up to:
Part I: “10-5 the message about the remote controlled plane”!
Part II: Tan Ford Alpha Van at Holland Tunnel Exit
Part III: “Remote Controlled Plane” transmission confirmed as having occurred on 9/11
Part IV: Tan Ford Alpha Van License Plates Resemble a U.S. Government Registered Aircraft
In the hunt for correlating van explosions, wtc-attack-mural-vehicles and vanishing truck-bomb suspects we find that, in addition to the reported explosions at both trade towers, there are reports of many other explosions in lower Manhattan. (note: After reading Killtown’s exclusive interview with Ondrovic and rereading her WTC Task Force interview, I realized that erroneous explosions began earlier than I had originally thought. Thanks to Killtown for publishing his groundbreaking interview.)

9:53-10:03 A.M: EMT Patricia Ondrovic reported 2 to 3 cars exploding 25 to 35 minutes before the second tower “collapse”. Perhaps as early as 9:53 A.M..

“As I was running up Vesey, the first car blew up on me on the corner of Vessey and the West Side Highway. That set my turnout coat on fire, that set my hair on fire, and that set my feet on fire. I kept running. I got news for you, those turn out coats need to be called burn out coats, cause this thing caught up in flames. They cut two inches off my hair in less that two minutes, my coat was completely engulfed, and that was the only way I could see where I was running at that point, because I had a glow from my coat.”

Above: Location of the first car explosion at West Side Hwy and Vesey.

“There’s hundreds of cops all running up there, and I ended up running through this park, and I couldn’t even see where I was running anymore. I kept running North.”
Q: “Through North Park?”
A: “I guess that’s North Park. It’s a big green, grassy area, and there’s nothing there. As I was running up here, two or three more cars exploded on me. They weren’t near any buildings at that point, they were just parked on the street.”
(Source: WTC Task Force interview Page 6)

After reading the above statement I realized that Ondrovic ran through “North Cove”. If one looks at a map of the area and combines the information included in her interview with Killtown, this becomes fairly obvious:

Killtown: “Can you estimate how many vehicles blew up around you?”
Ondrovic: “At least three and some were on fire as I was running by. I was still on the south side of Vesey running west. The burning cars were between my ambulance and about the middle of the 6 World Trade where the lobby doors were at.”
(Source: “9/11 Rescuer Saw Explosions Inside WTC 6 Lobby” an interview with Killtown)

Above: Location of the first reported car explosion (1). Location of the
park where Ondrovic ran to after passing two more exploding cars (2).
North Cove (circled)

“The traffic guys hadn’t gotten a chance to tow anything yet, cause this was all during the first hour I guess of this thing happening. So there were still cars parked on the street that were completely independent of that. Three cars blew up on me, stuff was being thrown. I went home all bruised that day. Thank God it was only bruises. I just ran into this park along with a bunch of other people, and stuff was still blowing up…”
(Source: WTC Task Force interview Page 5-6)

“I remember parts flying off — I think I got hit with a car door. I remember they were also on fire, but I don’t specifically recall the movie type fireball, but there was a loud bang as the door flew off the one car I was running past.”
(Source: “9/11 Rescuer Saw Explosions Inside WTC 6 Lobby” an interview with Killtown)

“I would venture to guess it was 20 minutes to a half our later, and the first thing I remember hearing was somebody saying the North Tower is leaning. Within five minutes of that statement, the second tower came down.”
(Source: WTC Task Force interview Page 12)

(note: The last statement above gave me reason to place the car explosions at approximately 9:53-10:03 A.M.)
One eyewitness reported “explosions going off everywhere” after the first “collapse”.
Teresa Veliz, worked in building 1:

Teresa Veliz was a manager for a software development firm. She was on the 47th floor of the North Tower when American 11 struck(1). Veliz was able to reach the ground level at about the same time that the South Tower collapsed. Flung to the ground in total darkness, Veliz and a colleague followed another person who happened to have a flashlight. As she narrated later: “The flashlight led us into Borders bookstore*, up an escalator, and out to Church Street(2). The explosions were going off everywhere. I was convinced that there were bombs planted all over the place and someone was sitting at a control panel pushing detonator buttons. I was afraid to go down Church Street towards Broadway, but I had to do it. I ended up on Vesey Street(3). There was another explosion. And another. I didn’t know which way to run.”
(Source: “Teresa Veliz: A Prayer to Die Quickly and Painlessly,” in September 11: An Oral History by Dean E. Murphy (Doubleday, 2002), pp 9-15.)

Above: Veliz’ route from WTC1.
8:46 A.M.: Veliz is on the 47th floor of the WTC1 as AA11 strikes the building.(1)
9:59 A.M.: Veliz reaches ground level at about the same time that WTC2 “collapses”.(1)
10:?? A.M.: Veliz emerges from the Borders bookstore* located in WTC5 and hears explosions going off everywhere.(2)
10:?? A.M.: Veliz runs down Church Street towards Broadway and ends up on Vesey Street where she hears 2 more explosions.(3)
10:28 A.M.: WTC1 “collapses”.
What is not exactly clear is whether the explosions Veliz reported were the same explosions reportedly occurring at WTC1 moments before it’s “collapse” or if the explosions were separate incidents altogether. Veliz’s statements that “there were bombs planted all over the place” and “There was another explosion. And another. I didn’t know which way to run.” lead me to believe these explosions took place in multiple locations away from the Trade Center.
We also find explosions taking place in lower Manhattan after the second “collapse”.
10:38 A.M.: 10 minutes after the 2nd “collapse”
Pat Dawson, NBC NEWS reporter:

“…Now we are continuing to hear explosions uhhh, we are continuing to hear explosions here downtown, and what we’ve been told by some of the fire officials is there are some gas lines that occasionally are exploding uhhh down there, because obviously as you could imagine there are a lot of open gas lines down in the southern part of Manhattan where the World Trade Center towers used to be…”
(Source: audio clip / cue to 2:36)

In the following NBC News transcript we learn that bombs were going off as much as an hour after the 2nd “collapse”.
11:30 A.M.: 62 minutes after the 2nd “collapse”
Ashleigh Banfield, MSNBC Reporter:

Banfield: “We just heard one more explosion, that’s about the fifth one we’ve heard. Police are telling us they’re either car bombs or they’re simply cars that have overheated so much they are exploding.”
Officer: “We’re clearing the area for only emergency personnel, either law enforcement or medical”
Banfield: “Do you know anything about those extra explosions we have heard?”
Officer: “No, I do not”
(clearing Banfield and all other media out of the area)
Banfield: “Were they car bombs?”
(Source: Transcript provided by George Trinkaus)

In the above transcript, an NYPD police officer states: “We’re clearing the area for only emergency personnel, either law enforcement or medical”, however the transcripts released by the Port Authority reveal reports that the area was being cleared of everyone, including emergency vehicles. We also find more reports of explosions and gas leaks. I suspect the two are not related.
CPD - Ch . 017 - Radio (Ch . A) - PA Area Wide .wma pg 9

MALE OPERATOR: Command post vehicle on the air! (45 :11)
MALE JERSEY CITY: Jersey City police station, (Inaudible) turnpike . (PAUSE)
MALE TURNPIKE: Go ahead.
MALE JERSEY CITY: (Inaudible) an explosion on (Inaudible), expedite westbound (Inaudible) traffic out of the city right now .
MALE TURNPIKE: Turnpike, received . We are in the process of doing that now .
MALE NEWARK: Newark station from 9-12. (PAUSE)

…..
CPD - Ch . 018 - Radio (Ch. W) LT Police .wma pg.63

MALE B: Be advised, they’ve got (Inaudible), they are turning all vehicles including emergency vehicles away due to a gas leak . (PAUSE)

…..
CPD - Ch. 018 - Radio (Ch . W) LT Police.wma pg.64

MALE B: Are we providing an escort?
MALE C: Report that our maintenance cut down with the equipment, and we couldn’t go any further down because of a gas leak .
MALE B: All right (?) . (02 :47:11) (PAUSE)

…..
WTC CH. 15 - NYC EMS DIRECT LINE pg.13

MALE: This is the colonel(?) . Evacuate all buildings in the complex, you copy me?
All buildings in the complex . (15:5 1)
MALE: (Overlap/Inaudible) . . . gas leak .
MALE: (Overlap/Inaudible) the building . ..
FEMALE: Roger . .. (Overlap/Inaudible)

…..
WTC Ch. 27 - RADIO CHANNEL X - SECURITY pg.11

MALE: Copy. Plaza to six-three what’s . . . what’s the location of that gas leak?

….
Notice there is never any mention of explosions resulting from the gas leaks, only that they are a threat and that everyone, including emergency vehicles, should evacuate the area.
The WTC Task Force interviews reveal numerous other reports of gas leaks, in which one FDNY firefigther refers to as “bullshit”. Key highlights are as follows:
V. Massa

“…There were reports coming over the radio that there was a secondary device in Stuyvesant High School, that there was major gas leak and to evacuate the area. Everybody turned around and started heading north again. We were like, Jesus Christ, what the hell is next? Everybody was shell-shocked. We figured this building is going to explode now, you know…”
“…We stood there for a minute or two and we were like — I don’t know, this is bullshit, and let’s start heading back in…”
(Source: WTC Task Force Interview with V. Massa)

…..
D. Rivera

“…I Pretty much went back to this original spot here at
Church and Trinity, I think. Then they directed
us somewhere else around here.
Q: Who directed you? A supervisor?
A: Right, some supervisor.
Q: Do you know where you ended up?
A: By the water somewhere around here.
Q: By battery park?
A: Right, somewhere around here somewhere. Then they said that there was gas leak and that was too dangerous so we walked from — we were here somewhere. Then they took us all the way to — not Chambers. What’s that place on the west side. Pier 94.
Q: That’s where you ended up after all
that stuff?
A: After all that.
Q: So you ended up at pier 94?
A: Right…”
(Source: WTC Task Force Interview with D. Rivera)

…..
M. Schroeck

“…Right around here the boat was, right. It was right against the winter garden we tried to stretch — get line in place into the Winter Garden there. But think they were talking about I guess an odor, gas odor…”
(Source: WTC Task Force Interview with M. Schroek)

…..
D. Coutsouros

“…We came down East End. Actually we put a fire out in a building that’s right there. We went through here. There was fire building. We started stretching all the lengths that the fireboat had through guess its the Merrill Lynch building…”
“…Over here there was gas leak. The police department was telling everybody to get out of the area blah blah blah…” “…We went over — I guess 4 World Financial, Merrill Lynch, is Vesey and North End that corner building. We went down this street, which isn’t marked here whatever it is…”
(Source: WTC Task Force Interview with D. Coutsouros)

…..
G. Smiley

“…At that point Chief Goldfarb said that he smelled gas. Nobody smelled gas except Chief Goldfarb. Chief Goldfarb smelling gas saved about 40 people because we moved through the back lobby and out the side entrance on to the farther end of Vesey Street going towards North End Avenue…” “…They had set up field hospital in don’t know what building. They dragged us in there for while then there was report of gas leak in there so decided it would be better if exit…”
“…We were going to go into the water. I said maybe we should take off our stuff and go into the ocean. We didn’t know where else to go because there was every building was apparently — the police said there was gas leaks and they said they were going to blowup and we had no place else to go…”
(Source: WTC Task Force Interview with G. Smiley)

…..
M. Rodriguez

“…When we finished with the fireman we were around Barclay or Murray they might have made us move back there was a gas scare I don’t remember the time frame but everybody started saying keep your ambulances away from manhole covers and sewers somebody yelled “everybody run for lives there’s a gas main leak there might be an explosion” I got separated from my partner because everybody was running. An ambulance went by with broken windows and the back doors open. I Jumped in the back of that ambulance we ended up going by the Chelsea Piers. I really don’t remember if that was when the second one came down because to be honest with you it was so chaotic. I Just remember little bits and pieces of that day…”
(Source: WTC Task Force Interview with M. Rodriguez)

…..
S. Holowatch

“…they kept on pushing us north because they thought there was a gas leak and a bomb in the American Express building. They
kept on moving us north of the high school there.
Q. Stuyvesant High School?
A. Yes, Stuyvesant High School, until they figured out, I guess, there was no gas leak or no secondary bomb…”
(Source: S. Holowatch WTC Task Force Interview Page 8-9)

…..
In addition to the gas leaks reported above, it is well documented that shortly after 8.30 A.M., minutes before AA11 hit WTC1., one of the Naudet brothers responded to a call with Chief Joseph Pfeifer of an alleged gas leak at Church & Lispenard Street. This placed them in a perfect location to film the impact of AA11.
Suspects Arrested in Exploding-Mural-Van incident:
This brings us to one of the most interesting bits of information I’ve encountered in the area of research initially detailed in my piece entitled “10-5 the message about the remote controlled plane!“, and later confirmed to have taken place on 9/11 in my piece ““Remote Controlled Plane” transmission confirmed as having occurred on 9/11.” (note: I am fully convinced this is also related to “Tan Ford Alpha Van at Holland Tunnel Exit“)
If you remember, this article includes an audio transmission and transcript which details two suspects arrested for detonating a van loaded with explosives in lower Manhattan. In addition, this van was reportedly painted with a mural of a remote controlled plane, loaded with explosives, diving into New York City.
Begin Transcript (audio found here):

officer: The plane [inaudible] in the air… explosives on King and 6th Avenue.
officer: King and 6th Avenue you say?
officer: We need to pull the truck [inaudible] one of those remote controlled planes filled with explosives
officer: [inaudible]
officer: [inaudible] and Broadway
officer:10-5 that plane
officer: Chambers and Broadway
officer: 10-5 that plane message
officer: 77CO inspector Morino
officer: Inspector Morino go ahead
officer: Thank you
officer: [inaudible]
officer: 5 the message about the plane
officer: Sergeant [inaudible] seven five (Miller?)
officer: 5 [inaudible] about the, 10-5 the message about the plane
officer: 9414 hold up
officer: 5 the message about the remote-control plane
officer: [inaudible] on the air
officer: [inaudible]
officer: [inaudible]
officer: [inaudible] Trinity and Liberty… all city wide task force units are to respond to Liberty Trinity Place
officer: 10-4 the message is the plane [inaudible]
officer: [inaudible] task forces
c/o: [inaudible] and [inaudible] will be the mobilization point at this time [inaudible]
officer: 10-4 c/o central who is [inaudible]
officer: didn’t find any mention about the plane (alt: didn’t find any admission about the plane)
officer: central, we need the bomb squad and EAQ over at King and……background noise….click
officer: [inaudible]
officer: [inaudible] units
officer: [inaudible] on the air
officer: 9415 you on?
officer: 85[inaudible] this is uhh operator
officer: [inaudible]
officer: negat[inaudible]
officer: [inaudible] giving up these [inaudible] (planes?)
officer: [inaudible] I got a message on that uh plane,
it’s a big truck with a mural painted of a of a airplane diving into New York City
and exploding [inaudible] know what’s in the truck, the truck is in between 6th and 7th on King Street
officer: [inaudible]
officer: [inaudible]
officer: [inaudible]
officer: [inaudible] 10-5 10-5
officer: with a mural painted uh airplane diving into New York blowing up. Two men got outta the truck
ran away from it, we got those two [inaudible] under.
officer: kay great.
officer: [inaudible]
officer: [inaudible] are you holding those to guys [inaudible] (kay?)
multiple voices/commotion: [inaudible] fucking beat the shit out of him.
officer: [gasps]
multiple voices/commotion: [inaudible] fucking shit out of him [inaudible]
officer: all right listen you need any [inaudible] on those two guys over there? you all right over there kay?
officer: we got both suspects under kay, we have the suspects who drive…drove in the van and that exploded
we have both of them under kay let’s get some help over here
officer: now I’m sending you [inaudible] I just want to make sure you and your guys all right over there kay, that’s all.
officer: what’s the location [inaudible]
officer: put em up, put em up
officer: you know we have both the [inaudible] driven that exploded. Is that correct?
officer: what location?
officer: location [inaudible]
officer: [inaudible]
officer: [inaudible] location [inaudible]
officer: King Street between 6th and 7th
officer: King Street and 6th and 7th avenue, King Street and 6th and 7th avenue
officer: [inaudible] on the scene King 6 and 7, which unit are you kay?
officer: [inaudible]
officer: [inaudible]
officer: [inaudible] explosion
officer: which unit is on the scene at king street?
officer: truck to Manhattan
officer: [inaudible] 10 truck
officer: [inaudible] 10 truck is heading a team toward 14 Trinity Place
officer: all right you take care of that for me and get back to me
multiple voices: [inaudible]
officer: all right just check out that location let me know what you got
officer: [inaudible]4
officer: [inaudible] on the air
officer: on the air
officer: [inaudible]
officer: that fine with you?
officer: CIT Units on the air, CIT
officer: [inaudible] always available [inaudible] we’re talkin

End transcript.
I am currently attempting to place a time on the above transmission. Anyone wishing to contribute any information regarding the above is encouraged to email me at this address.
Speculative questions:
• Were the car/van bomb explosions meant to clear the area in an attempt to drive away any potential witnesses, including media shooting video coverage in the area surrounding WTC?
• Were the gas leak threats concocted to provide cover for the car bombs?
-Culhavoc