Brooklyn house explosion blamed on natural gas leak

NEW YORK — A house explosion in East Flatbush, Brooklyn left at least four people hurt Thursday night, police say.

The blast ripped through a two-story home around 8:30 p.m. on East 37th Street between Farragut Road and Foster Avenue.

Fire marshals determined the explosion was likely caused by a natural gas leak in the basement, the FDNY said on social media .

The Department of Buildings issued a full vacate order for three address on the block, and National Grid shut off the gas service. The Red Cross is helping four adults, one child and one dog who have been forced to relocate.

The DOB also issued a violation for the basement apartment, which it says was built without a permit.

Man severely burned in Brooklyn house explosion

FDNY Assistant Chief Tom Currao said when crews arrived on the scene, they found two victims outside and two victims on the top floor of the building. According to Currao, there was glass all over the street and obvious structural damage to the building.

"Quite a powerful explosion, ripped right through the dwelling, as well as caused significant damage to the rear of the dwelling," he said.

Currao said three victims suffered serious injuries: two were taken to a local hospital with burns and potential respiratory injuries, and a third was taken to a local hospital to be treated for cuts and contusions. A fourth victim was treated on the scene.

Police later put out an update, saying four people were treated at Staten Island University Hospital, including a 63-year-old man who suffered severe burns to his body. The other victims, ages 47 to 73, were treated for minor injuries and listed in stable condition.

Structural concerns after Brooklyn house explosion

According to Currao, two adjacent homes had to be evacuated as a precaution, and firefighters raised concerns about the stability of the buildings.

"Very significant damage. Windows that were blown out. The back, the structural part of the building actually is damaged and blown out as well. Very significant type of explosion," he said.

DOB inspectors arrived overnight and determined the explosion damaged floor joists, a rear facade and the walls between the neighboring buildings.

Neighbors say they smelled gas after explosion

Neighbors told CBS News New York's Ali Bauman they heard and felt a large bang, then smelled gas in the air.

"I heard a loud bang. I assumed it was a truck that hit the building, but I saw my neighbor's front door in the middle of the sidewalk and that was time to get out of there," one neighbor said.

"We rushed out of the house and we saw people starting to gather on the streets, and there was smoke coming from this direction. So as we ran to the house to see what was happening, that's when we saw the two victims just staggering out of the house," another neighbor said.