Story highlights An eighth body is recovered, says a fire spokesman

Police identify another victim, Andreas Panagopoulos

"In one word, devastating," is how NTSB investigator describes scene

At least five people are unaccounted for, city officials say

In the mid-March chill Thursday, the victims and their stories continued to emerge as firefighters ferreted through the piles of bricks and wreckage on the East Harlem block where a powerful explosion and fire leveled two buildings.

They brought life to a vibrant neighborhood of corner bodegas, churches, shops and redbrick tenements whose ordinary rhythms were shattered when the Wednesday morning blast killed at least eight and injured dozens more. The eighth body was recovered Thursday evening, a spokesman with the New York City Fire Department said.

Among the victims was Carmen Tanco, a 67-year-old dental hygienist who relatives tried desperately to reach by cellphone.

"She's sassy, spicy, which is why her and I are so close," her niece, Marisela Frias, 44, said before learning her aunt had died. "We have the same temperament, character. We tell it like it is, tell you the truth, whether you want to hear it or not. What you see is what you get."

Another victim, Griselde Camacho, 44, was a public safety officer at the Hunter College Silberman School of Social Work in East Harlem, the school's website said.

"Griselde was a well-liked member of our community, a respected officer and a welcoming presence at our Silberman building," said Jennifer J. Raab, the college president. "Our deepest sympathies go out to her family, and we are committed to doing everything we can to support them in their time of great emotional need. We also know this is a difficult time for all those who knew and worked with Sergeant Camacho. All of you will be in our thoughts in the days ahead."

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Photos: Explosion destroys East Harlem buildings Photos: Explosion destroys East Harlem buildings Explosion destroys East Harlem buildings – Rubble is seen on Friday, March 14, two days after an explosion leveled two apartment buildings in the East Harlem neighborhood of Manhattan, injuring dozens and killing at least eight people. Though authorities have said a gas leak may have triggered the explosion, Mayor Bill de Blasio told reporters Thursday that the official cause was under investigation. Hide Caption 1 of 35 Photos: Explosion destroys East Harlem buildings Explosion destroys East Harlem buildings – Firefighters look over what remains of a building affected by the explosion on March 14. Hide Caption 2 of 35 Photos: Explosion destroys East Harlem buildings Explosion destroys East Harlem buildings – A vehicle crushed by debris from the building explosion is seen on the street. Hide Caption 3 of 35 Photos: Explosion destroys East Harlem buildings Explosion destroys East Harlem buildings – An excavator removes debris on Thursday, March 13, from the site of a massive explosion. Hide Caption 4 of 35 Photos: Explosion destroys East Harlem buildings Explosion destroys East Harlem buildings – People protect their faces from dust on March 13. Hide Caption 5 of 35 Photos: Explosion destroys East Harlem buildings Explosion destroys East Harlem buildings – Police officers stand near the site of the explosion on March 13. Hide Caption 6 of 35 Photos: Explosion destroys East Harlem buildings Explosion destroys East Harlem buildings – Smoke fills 116th Street as a stretcher is wheeled toward the site of the explosion on March 13. Hide Caption 7 of 35 Photos: Explosion destroys East Harlem buildings Explosion destroys East Harlem buildings – Heavy smoke rises from the debris on Wednesday, March 12. Hide Caption 8 of 35 Photos: Explosion destroys East Harlem buildings Explosion destroys East Harlem buildings – Medics put a person into an ambulance at the scene of the explosion on March 12. Hide Caption 9 of 35 Photos: Explosion destroys East Harlem buildings Explosion destroys East Harlem buildings – Water is sprayed on smoldering debris close to the scene of the building collapse. Hide Caption 10 of 35 Photos: Explosion destroys East Harlem buildings Explosion destroys East Harlem buildings – A police officer covers his face with a mask to protect himself from the smoke. Hide Caption 11 of 35 Photos: Explosion destroys East Harlem buildings Explosion destroys East Harlem buildings – New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio speaks during a news conference. "This is a tragedy of the worst kind," he said, "because there was no indication in time to save people." Hide Caption 12 of 35 Photos: Explosion destroys East Harlem buildings Explosion destroys East Harlem buildings – New York firefighters battle the fire near 116th Street and Park Avenue, once the heart of the city's large Puerto Rican community. Hide Caption 13 of 35 Photos: Explosion destroys East Harlem buildings Explosion destroys East Harlem buildings – Firefighters work to contain the fire. The firefighters responding to a gas leak report barely missed the blast, Fire Commissioner Salvatore Cassano said: "If we were here five minutes earlier, we may have had some fatalities among firefighters." Hide Caption 14 of 35 Photos: Explosion destroys East Harlem buildings Explosion destroys East Harlem buildings – Rescue workers remove an injured person from the scene. Hide Caption 15 of 35 Photos: Explosion destroys East Harlem buildings Explosion destroys East Harlem buildings – Alecia Thomas, left, is comforted by her friend, Shivon Dollar, after Thomas' home was destroyed in the explosion. Hide Caption 16 of 35 Photos: Explosion destroys East Harlem buildings Explosion destroys East Harlem buildings – De Blasio, in the blue jacket, arrives at the site of the explosion. Hide Caption 17 of 35 Photos: Explosion destroys East Harlem buildings Explosion destroys East Harlem buildings – People stand behind a police line. Hide Caption 18 of 35 Photos: Explosion destroys East Harlem buildings Explosion destroys East Harlem buildings – Firefighters work from the roof of a building next to the site of the explosion. Hide Caption 19 of 35 Photos: Explosion destroys East Harlem buildings Explosion destroys East Harlem buildings – Workers inspect debris on the Metro North railroad tracks near the scene of the explosion. Hide Caption 20 of 35 Photos: Explosion destroys East Harlem buildings Explosion destroys East Harlem buildings – Firefighters observe rescue efforts after the explosion. Hide Caption 21 of 35 Photos: Explosion destroys East Harlem buildings Explosion destroys East Harlem buildings – Broken glass and debris litter the area around the scene. Hide Caption 22 of 35 Photos: Explosion destroys East Harlem buildings Explosion destroys East Harlem buildings – Hundreds of firefighters responded to the scene. Hide Caption 23 of 35 Photos: Explosion destroys East Harlem buildings Explosion destroys East Harlem buildings – Police search the debris. Hide Caption 24 of 35 Photos: Explosion destroys East Harlem buildings Explosion destroys East Harlem buildings – Smoke billows from the site of the explosion and collapse. Hide Caption 25 of 35 Photos: Explosion destroys East Harlem buildings Explosion destroys East Harlem buildings – Police create a one-block perimeter around the site. Hide Caption 26 of 35 Photos: Explosion destroys East Harlem buildings Explosion destroys East Harlem buildings – People watch as rescue efforts continue after the explosion. Hide Caption 27 of 35 Photos: Explosion destroys East Harlem buildings Explosion destroys East Harlem buildings – People run from the scene. Hide Caption 28 of 35 Photos: Explosion destroys East Harlem buildings Explosion destroys East Harlem buildings – Debris is scattered over a wide area as firefighters work to contain the fire. Hide Caption 29 of 35 Photos: Explosion destroys East Harlem buildings Explosion destroys East Harlem buildings – Firefighters examine the damage to one building after the explosion. Hide Caption 30 of 35 Photos: Explosion destroys East Harlem buildings Explosion destroys East Harlem buildings – Firefighters respond to the fire. Hide Caption 31 of 35 Photos: Explosion destroys East Harlem buildings Explosion destroys East Harlem buildings – Firefighters work to douse the fire. Hide Caption 32 of 35 Photos: Explosion destroys East Harlem buildings Explosion destroys East Harlem buildings – Firefighters work at the scene. Hide Caption 33 of 35 Photos: Explosion destroys East Harlem buildings Explosion destroys East Harlem buildings – Rubble from the explosion spills onto Park Avenue. Hide Caption 34 of 35 Photos: Explosion destroys East Harlem buildings Explosion destroys East Harlem buildings – Firefighters work to douse the fire. Hide Caption 35 of 35

Map: Explosion in Harlem

Camacho and Tanco were remembered by Carlton Brown, bishop of Bethel Gospel Assembly, on the church's Facebook page.

"Our hearts are heavy as we will truly miss these two beautiful women," Brown wrote. "Many of us share fond memories on how they have blessed our lives with their warm smiles and caring natures. They were both faithful volunteers..."

Rosaura Hernandez, 21, who also perished in the explosion, was a line cook at Triomphe Restaurant, general manager Robert Holmes said.

"We liked her enthusiasm and raw talent," Holmes said. "It's a terrible loss. My staff has taken it hard... She was solid as a rock, never got flustered. She was calm, even-tempered. One of our line cooks was quite close with her. When he heard she was missing, he said, 'Can I go find Rosie? I gotta look for her.' I said, of course. It's a terrible tragedy. "

Though authorities have said a gas leak may have triggered the explosion, Mayor Bill de Blasio told reporters Thursday that the official cause was under investigation.

"We know there was an explosion," he said, "but we don't know everything about the lead-up to it."

The other fatalities were Andreas Panagopoulos, 43; George Ameado, 44; Rosaura Barrios, 44; and Alexis Salas, 22.

One fatal victim remains unidentified.

On Wednesday, one woman tried in vain to find her husband, Jordy Salas, who may have been on the second floor of one of the collapsed buildings. She fainted and was taken to a hospital.

Desperate search for survivors

Near 116th Street and Park Avenue, once the heart of New York's large Puerto Rican community, firefighters tore at mounds of bricks in a search for survivors from the collapsed five-story buildings, which housed a piano store and an evangelical church, in addition to apartments.

"We (had) probably about two-and-a-half floors of debris, so we have it now down to about one, one-and-a-half floors," Edward Kilduff, fire chief of department, told de Blasio during a tour of the site. "The victims have primarily been found on the left-center side about 20 feet in."

On Thursday, Con Edison officials said the utility received a call reporting a gas leak around 9:13 a.m. Wednesday from a resident at one of the newer buildings on Park Avenue. The utility dispatched a truck two minutes later, but it arrived after the explosion. The caller reported smelling gas the night before but did not call the utility at the time.

Two gas repairs were made on the block in January 2011 and May 2013 following complaints of a gas odor, Con Ed CEO John McAvoy said. The utility looked back at 10 years of checks and repairs on the gas main on the block and found no "historical condition," he said. In addition, Con Ed checks for leaks in the area on February 10 and February 28 detected no problems.

Fire officials said they received no reports of gas leaks in the area in the last month, while police reported receiving no calls since 2010.

Fire marshals, police arson investigators and the National Transportation Safety Board -- which probes gas explosions -- worked to determine the cause of the explosion.

"In one word, devastating," was how Robert Sumwalt of the NTSB described the scene Thursday afternoon. He called it an "active search and rescue operation."

"You have, basically, two five-story buildings reduced to essentially a three-story pile of bricks and twisted metal."

Sumwalt said the agency was "operating under the assumption that a natural gas leak led to an explosion," but that his team of investigators had not yet examined the crater where the buildings once stood.

De Blasio said 66 people, including 14 families with children, had received temporary shelter.

Some wreckage was still smoldering Thursday, with the fire whipped by the cold wind, de Blasio said.

"Our biggest concern now is the free-standing wall in the back," Kilduff said. "That was a little more solid last night, but it burned overnight."

The massive explosion shook Manhattan's East Harlem section around 9:30 a.m. Wednesday.

Surreal scenes after explosion

Colin Patterson said he was watching TV when a thunderous blast suddenly sent pianos hurling through the air in the shop where he works.

"They flew off the ground," said the piano technician, who also lives in the building in East Harlem. He told CNN affiliate WABC that he crawled through the rubble and managed to escape unharmed.

A building department official said one of the two Park Avenue buildings that collapsed received a city permit last year for the installation of 120 feet of gas piping. The work was completed last June. In 2008, owners of the adjacent building, which also collapsed, were fined for failing to maintain vertical cracks in the rear of the building. The condition was not reported as corrected to the buildings department.

There were a total of 15 units in the two buildings, officials said.

Building department records detailed a litany of violations, dating back decades, for one of the collapsed buildings, including a lack of smoke detectors, blocked fire escapes and faulty light fixtures.

The mayor told reporters that the report of the gas leak, which he said came about 15 minutes before the explosion, was "the only indication of danger."

Fire Commissioner Salvatore Cassano said responding firefighters barely missed the blast.

"If we were here five minutes earlier we may have had some fatalities among firefighters," he said. "Not being here may have saved some lives."

Once a predominantly Italian neighborhood, the stretch of East Harlem saw a large influx of Puerto Ricans in the 1950s. It went on to be called Spanish Harlem and El Barrio. In the 1990s, many Mexican immigrants began to move into the area, which has been gentrified in recent years, with many mom-and-pop shops replaced by restaurants and bars.