Some residents near steam-pipe rupture can return home

NEW YORK (AP) - Some residents in Manhattan where a steam pipe exploded several days ago can now return home.

Officials said Sunday that nine buildings in the Flatiron District have been declared safe after firefighters began spraying the facades of buildings to wash off any asbestos.

Crews have been collecting the water and filtering it before releasing it into catch basins.

The work was part of the cleanup after the Con Edison pipe ruptured Thursday morning. Forty buildings were evacuated, displacing hundreds of people.

There were no major injuries. The cause is under investigation.