Thursday's steam rupture in the Flatiron District, in which five people suffered minor injuries, is not the first time the city has been rocked by a steam pipe explosion.
The city's deadliest steam pipe explosion occurred in August of 1989 on Gramercy Park South and 20th Street, just five blocks away from Thursday's rupture.
It happened after Con Edison crews using a jackhammer shattered a 24-inch steam pipe.
A resident and two Con Ed workers were killed.
The explosion blanketed buildings in asbestos-contaminated debris and displaced more than 200 residents for three months.
Another deadly explosion occurred on July 18, 2007, when a steam pipe exploded near Grand Central Terminal.
The rush hour explosion billowed 77 stories high, killing one person and injuring dozens.
It blew out windows and blanketed the city in a rusty colored mud.
A state investigation found that explosion could have been prevented if Con Edison would have paid attention to dangerous flaws in its steam system.
A worker noticed the pipe was dented and pitted and should have been replaced.
Officials say all first responders and people in the area of Thursday's explosion will need to be observed for any signs of illness from asbestos.