Kensington, NY – Three people were injured one seriously after a reported home explosion in Kensington on Monday afternoon.
The blaze broke out just before 1:30 p.m. after an explosion occurred on the first floor of 820 Friel Place, according to fire department officials, who said at around 2:40 p.m. that the incident should be under control shortly.
One victim has been transported to the burn unit at NewYork-Presbyterian/Weill Cornell Medical Center, and two others were transported to area hospitals, a spokesperson said.
The cause of the fire is still under investigation, but some reports including updates on the app Citizen say that it appears to have been caused by a natural gas explosion. Reports further claim that at least part of the affected building has collapsed.
A spokesperson for National Grid said the agency immediately dispatched a crew to the location which then made conditions safe by shutting off the gas at the curb.
A New York City Department of Buildings spokesperson told the Brooklyn Eagle that the agency has an investigator on site.
As of Monday evening, a preliminary investigation by the agency determined that the building is no longer structurally stable, and is in danger of collapse.