New York, NY —

The city's Department of Small Business Services will be offering loans of up to $10,000 to business affected by last week's steam pipe explosion. The loans will be zero interest loans, and the city will not require repayment for the first six months.

REPORTER: Robert Walsh is the department's commissioner. He toured the neighborhood this weekend and says you can't compare the incident to last year's blackout in Queens.

WALSH: because of the density, and because of all of those offices in the upper floors - nonprofit organizations, graphic artists, engineers, lawyers, entrepreneurs, computer companies - all impacted one way or another.

REPORTER: He says his staff is working with local business organizations to identify and communicate with the upper floor tenants. Details on the loan program, he says, will be announced this week.