FDNY: 4 people injured in basement explosion in East Flatbush
When firefighters arrived, they say two of the people were found on the street and the other two were upstairs in the building.
More Stories
UPDATE: FDNY fire marshals determined that Thursday night's explosion at 790 East 37th St. in East Flatbush was caused by a natural gas leak. Original story from Friday is below.
Multiple people have been injured in an East Flatbush explosion that took place at around 8:30 p.m. at 790 E. 37th St.
The FDNY says the explosion occurred in the basement of a three-story building. The Department of Buildings determined the explosion not only caused structural damage to this building, but damage to the two buildings next door.
First responders say four people were hurt and were all taken to Staten Island University Hospital North. The FDNY says three of those people suffered serious injuries with two suffering from burns and respiratory concerns. The third person has "ulcerations and cuts."
When firefighters arrived, they say two of the people were found on the street and the other two were upstairs in the building.
All utility lines on the street were shut off as a precaution.
It's unclear what caused the explosion at this time.
Contractors on the scene tell News 12 the explosion lifted the property off of its foundations, leaving the back partially collapse, and the home sitting 4 inches higher than it should.
Crews from National Grid opened up five different gas lines near the streets of the surrounding properties, and those on the scene told News 12 that no issues were found, leading them to suspect the issue was localized to the home.
A temporary fence has now been built around the outside of the property, as contractors worked to board up windwos and other external damage on the homes.
