Legal news for New York City personal injury attorneys – A man was burned in a sudden chemical explosion in Brooklyn.
Brooklyn, NY (NewYorkInjuryNews.com) – A chemical explosion sent one man to the hospital with second degree burns, blew out the windows and singed the hallway of a Brooklyn building on Thursday, January 28, 2010, according to New York Daily News.
FDNY officials reported to the scene where witnesses said they saw flames shooting down the hallway in the Prospect-Lefferts Gardens building. A man who was working to renovate the hallway was on the third floor of the Maple Street building when the chemicals, identified as polyurethane, ignited and sent explosive flames destroying the hallway.
The man, identified as 61-year-old Ashley Baptiste, escaped death but was burned on his arms and his hands, when he tripped over a bucket and the flames closed in on him. The injurious explosion occurred at 9:10 a.m. Medical officials reported to the scene to transport Baptiste to New York-Presbyterian Hospital Weill Cornell. Baptiste was reported to be in serious condition in the burn unit.
FDNY sources claimed that the fumes in the enclosed hallway allowed for the flammable chemicals to build up, though investigations will show what ignited the blaze. Responding firefighters put the flames out within minutes. The third and fourth floors the building were black from the blast. There were no other victims in the Brooklyn building explosion. Department of Building authorities were also at the scene to assist in the investigation.
Bridget Hom
www.NewYorkInjuryNews.com