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Gas explosion kills one, injures three in Brooklyn

Fire officials said a stove was being taken out and replaced on the second-floor apartment where the explosion emanated from.

By Brooks Hays

BROOKLYN, N.Y., Oct. 3 (UPI) -- A relatively quiet street in Brooklyn's Borough Park was interrupted by a violent blast on Saturday, a gas explosion that killed one and injured at least three people.

Firefighters were able to get the blaze under control but officials said the embers will likely be smoldering well into the night. The building's facade was blown off by the explosion, littering the sidewalk with rubble.

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The local fire department fielded the first report of the explosion at 1:05 p.m. When officials arrived, they found one person dead and three people -- two men and an 11-year-old boy -- injured by falling debris.

One of the three was reported to be in critical condition, but none of the injuries were considered life-threatening.

"This explosion is the latest in a disturbing trend of incidents," Governor Andrew Cuomo said in a released statement.

The governor called on the New York State Department of Health to investigate the cause of the incident. Mayor Bill de Blasio said an investigation would also ensure the surrounding buildings are structurally sound.

"A very tough situation but the response from the FDNY and the other first responders has been extraordinary," De Blasio said.

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Fire officials said a stove was being taken out and replaced on the second-floor apartment where the explosion emanated from.

"We are told the tenant there purchased a high end stove, it was their own stove, they were moving out of the apartment and were going to take the stove with them," Fire Commisisoner Daniel Nigro told reporters. "So of course to take a stove with you it entails disconnecting the gas line which leads us -- preliminarily -- to look in that direction."

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