Brooklyn House Explodes, Burns With 3 Workers Caught Inside

NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) - An explosion blew out part of a wall on the side of a home in Brooklyn, injuring several people and starting a fire.

The explosion and fire were so intense, some residents said it shook the entire block of their Kensington neighborhood, reports CBS2's Kiran Dhillon.

"It shook my house, literally around the corner," said neighbor John Duffy.

The blast happened in the basement of a two-story private home under construction at 820 Friel Place.

Officials say three people were in the home at the time, one painter working in the basement and two others.

"It sounded like a truck fell two stories and landed on the cement," said Duffy. "Like a boom! Quite an explosion, quite an explosion."

Officials were able to put the fire out.

The three people injured were taken to the hospital where they are being treated for minor injuries.

The building also suffered intense structural damage.

"We have the Department of Buildings (and) NYPD is going to issue an immediate demolition of the building because the structural damage is so great," said FDNY Deputy Assistant Chief Joseph Ferrante. "The building can't stand."

Officials say they were told someone may have been working with gasoline, but that has yet to be confirmed.

The cause of the fire and explosion are still under investigation, but at this point officials expect the building to be demolished within 72 hours.

In:
• Brooklyn
• Kiran Dhillon
• New York