A deadly explosion followed by a fire tore through a Crown Heights NYCHA building Friday night, killing one man, officials said, as investigators examine a reported link to a lithium-ion battery.
The blast erupted around 7 p.m. on the 12th floor of Albany Houses near Prospect Place, shaking the Brooklyn public housing complex and prompting a major emergency response from more than 120 FDNY and EMS workers.
Crews brought the flames under control by about 8 p.m., according to fire officials.
NY1 reported that the fire was tied to a lithium-ion battery, a type of rechargeable battery that has been linked to a growing number of New York City fires.
Police said an 18-year-old man was rushed to One Brooklyn Health-Interfaith Medical Center with severe, life-threatening injuries. He was later pronounced dead at the hospital.
A neighbor who said she knew the victim’s family told PIX11 she had recently spoken with his mother, recalling that “last week…we was having good talk about our kids.”
“And that’s messed up how we both moved here young with our small children and for her to lose one…that is tremendous,” the neighbor said, describing the loss as devastating.
Authorities have not yet released the victim’s name. The exact cause of the explosion remains under investigation.
The FDNY could not confirm or deny whether a lithium-ion battery was connected to the fire.
