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Queens residents assessing damage in aftermath of car explosion, but officials say no injuries
By
Brittany Kriegstein
Published Nov 8, 2024
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Brittany Kriegstein/Gothamist
By
Brittany Kriegstein
Published Nov 8, 2024
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Residents on a quiet Queens block woke up to blown-out widows and flying shrapnel after a plumber’s car exploded on Friday morning.
City fire department officials said the blast happened just before 7 a.m. on 133rd Street and 131st Avenue in South Ozone Park — and was caused by some faulty pressurized cylinders inside the SUV.
The result, according to FDNY Deputy Chief George Healy, was a “catastrophic explosion” that showered debris and car parts all over the street and shattered the glass of nearby houses.
No one was injured in the blast, officials said, but a total of five homes were damaged. New York City buildings department officials were on the scene on Friday afternoon, making sure the homes were safe to reoccupy.
The car’s owner, Dinell Harricharan, said he has a plumbing business and was storing several gas tanks used for welding and soldering in the back of his vehicle.
“They were secured ... but for some reason [investigators said they] had a slight leak on it,” he said. “That's what the fire department, that's what the professionals are basing it to be.”
Video footage shared on X by the account @NYCFireWire appears to show the moment of the explosion.
Harricharan said he wasn’t home at the time of the explosion, but his brother was about to get into the car to take their mother to work.
“I was called when the flame was going up, but I came here and once I saw it, I saw that everything was just devastated,” he said.
Late on Friday morning, neighbors were still assessing the damage to their respective homes, including shattered windows, blown-out door frames and holes in their facades.
Anthoinette Benjamin woke up to what sounded like an explosion and barely had time to process what had happened when she noticed leaping flames in the street below.
“My clock fell off the wall. And then I look at it, I'm trying to figure out what is going on,” she said. “My quickest thought was to get out, ‘cause I don't know if it was the house. It was scary.”
Other residents said they found pieces of the mangled car in their yards and down the street.
“A part of his trunk was in the tree. Another part was hanging off one of the other lines,” said Jaya Lalchand. “We don't have electricity at the moment because the fire burned down the main line.”
Lalchand’s parents’ car, which was parked just across the street from the explosion, was also totaled.
“These are material things, it is what it is, but thank God there's no casualties,” she said, echoing the sentiments of other neighbors on the block. She said she usually drives her kids to school around the time of the explosion.
Harricharan, the exploded car's owner, said the incident was an important reminder for other New Yorkers who might have similar equipment.
“Secure your gas tanks,” he said. “Get the proper equipment and secure them properly.”
This story has been updated to clarify the type of gas tanks involved.
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new york city
public safety
fire
queens
explosion
Brittany Kriegstein
Brittany Kriegstein covers all breaking news around New York City, with a focus on crime and gun violence. Got a tip? Email Brittany at [email protected].
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Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
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