NEW YORK -- At least two women were killed and up to 18 people injured Wednesday when a gas leak triggered a "major explosion" that leveled two five-story buildings in East Harlem, according to Mayor Bill de Blasio.

The mayor, speaking to reporters at the scene, said several people are still missing, but cautioned that many of them may simply be safe at a different location.

There was a Spanish Christian Church and a piano repair store at the East Harlem address on Park Avenue between 114th street and 116th Street.

The mayor said the explosion occurred at 9:31 a.m. ET, only minutes before a Con Ed utilities team arrived on the scene to check on reports of a natural gas leak.

"This is a tragedy of the worst kind because there was no indication in time to save people," de Blasio said. "We have lost two people already."

He said there will be a thorough search of the rubble after the fire is contained. Nearly 200 firefighters were still battling the blaze around noon.

The fire units arrived within two minutes of the explosion, the mayor said.

"For weeks we've been smelling gas," Ashley Rivera, 21, told the Daily News as she fought back tears. "We saw people flying out of the window. ... Those are my neighbors."

Eoin Hayes, 26, said the explosion shook his apartment building almost 10 blocks away.

"I was in my bedroom and the explosion went off, it kind of shook the whole building," Hayes told the Associated Press. "You could feel the vibrations going through the building. I ran to the window and saw the fire and the smoke going up and the sirens start."

Metro-North service was suspended, officials said, because of debris from the buildings that landed on the elevated train tracks across the street.

Contributing: Associated Press

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