Brooklyn basement explosion in house injures 4, displaces others

BROOKLYN - Several people were injured, and others were displaced, following an explosion in the basement of a two-family home in Brooklyn, FDNY officials said.

Explosion in Brooklyn

Firefighters responded around 8:30 a.m. to the home on East 37th Street in East Flatbush. 

When they arrived on the scene, firefighters found two victims in the street and two on the top floor. According to officials, three of the victims were seriously injured.

Firefighters responded on Thursday night to the home in East Flatbush. (Citizen App)

"We did have three serious injuries here," said FDNY Assistant Chief Tom Currao. "We had two victims that were taken to a hospital for burn injuries and potentially from respiratory injuries. We had a third victim that was taken to a local hospital, more for lacerations and contusions."

According to the FDNY, the blast originated in the basement, causing significant damage to the back of the home. The windows were entirely blown out and shards of glass blanketed the street. 

The windows were entirely blown out and shards of glass blanketed the street. 

After the explosion, firefighters cut off all utilities on the block. Their primary concern now is whether the home is structurally stable.

"As a precaution, we've also evacuated the attached occupancies to the left and to the right," Currao said.

The cause of the explosion was a natural gas leak, the FDNY said in a post on X, formally Twitter.