Earlier today, a house in Brentwood, Long Island exploded, killing an 18-month-old baby and injured many others. WABC 7 reports, "The injured included six members of the household, three workers including a real estate agent and a plumber, and two first responders."
It's unclear what caused the explosion: Natural gas was not used in the house and there were also propane tanks outside the house. A worker with AMS Restoration and Environmental Services told NBC New York a burst pipe caused a flood in the house last week. "There were issues in the house," he said. "The condition wasn't the greatest." Further, an Islip spokesperson said the house "had been illegally converted into a rooming house with at least eight rooms, which were being rented for $300 a month."
The cause of the explosion is under investigation. Authorities say two propane tanks were discovered in the debris and are investigating if the propane may have contributed to the explosion. A number of victims were buried by debris from the house—one neighbor tried to look for them and his arms were "bloodied" from the digging.
One person who followed police cars responding to the scene spoke to Newsday, "I saw a lady cop running with a baby screaming, 'I got a baby. I got a baby.' I heard her say 'We don't have time to wait for an ambulance.' ... She was running so fast. It had dust covered all over it." The baby was taken in a police cruiser to a hospital, where he died.
Residents were evacuated from the area. The Red Cross says it is providing assistance: "Disaster Mental Health and Volunteers deployed to scene of the disaster to provide support to residents in the area."
