Dramatic NYC house explosion caught on police body camera
Despite the explosion, injured officers rushed back into the burning home to rescue crying children trapped inside.
(NBC)- Dramatic body camera footage captured the moment a house exploded in New York City while police officers responded to a domestic dispute early Thursday morning.
The video shows New York City Police Department officers attempting to enter the home when a sudden blast violently threw them backward into a fence.
Despite the explosion, injured officers rushed back into the burning home to rescue crying children trapped inside.
“You guys good?” one officer can be heard asking as children screamed for help amid the chaos.
Authorities say the explosion sparked a five-alarm fire that tore through the three-family residence, sending thick smoke into the surrounding neighborhood as hundreds of first responders battled the flames.
Resident Angelica Castellar, who lived on the top floor with her children, said she initially believed the area had been bombed.
“I saw the flames coming up,” she said.
Officials say police had responded to a 911 call shortly before 3 a.m. involving an intoxicated man reportedly armed with a knife.
Investigators identified the suspect as Anroop Parasram, who allegedly forced his way into the basement apartment where relatives were staying.
According to Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch, relatives told officers the suspect threatened them with a knife and was carrying garbage bags containing yellow canisters with unknown contents.
Sources familiar with the investigation say authorities are examining whether the suspect poured gasoline inside the home before igniting the fire.
Additional security camera footage from a neighboring home captured the explosion and the frantic scramble by officers to escape the blast zone.
Remarkably, officials say all residents inside the destroyed home survived.
“We got very lucky today,” said NYPD Assistant Chief Christopher McIntosh. “This could have turned out really differently.”
The investigation into the cause of the explosion remains ongoing.
