Additional Coverage:
- Man ‘sets himself on fire’ in Queens home triggering massive explosion that injures NYPD officers (themirror.com)
A man reportedly set himself on fire inside his family’s residence in South Ozone Park, Queens, sparking a massive explosion that injured eight NYPD officers and four others, according to authorities.
Police responded to the home early Thursday morning around 2:42 a.m. following reports of a domestic dispute involving a knife. As officers approached the front entrance, a powerful explosion occurred, knocking several officers off their feet, said Assistant Chief Christopher M. McIntosh of Queens South.
The blast ignited a five-alarm fire that rapidly consumed the two-and-a-half-story house and spread to the adjacent property before the building ultimately collapsed.
Investigators believe 50-year-old Anrup Parasram, who remains missing, was intoxicated and armed when he forced entry into the basement apartment where his wife, daughter, and two grandchildren reside. Family members alerted 911 after detecting a gas odor and reported that Parasram had threatened them with a knife.
Surveillance footage reviewed by police shows Parasram breaking into the home carrying two garbage bags filled with unknown canisters. He reportedly poured an accelerant on the floor and then set himself and the apartment ablaze.
As the family escaped, they provided officers with a key to enter the residence, but moments later a massive fiery explosion erupted near the doorway. Despite being thrown back and injured, several officers courageously entered the dangerous scene to assist residents.
Eight officers were hospitalized with minor burns, head lacerations, and other injuries; all are in stable condition. Four additional people also suffered injuries.
Fire Chief John M. Esposito described the scene as active and said debris removal would begin to determine if anyone else is missing. Authorities noted that Parasram had three orders of protection filed against him in 2023, with the most recent set to expire in 2024.
A nearby resident, Jessica Irving, recounted hearing sounds resembling gunfire following the explosion, though officials have found no evidence of a shooting. She also described hearing a “blood-curdling scream” as police ordered evacuations. The fire displaced sixteen people from the neighborhood.
“We got very lucky today. This could have turned out very differently,” McIntosh emphasized, highlighting the danger officers and residents faced during the incident. The investigation is ongoing as emergency crews continue to respond to the aftermath of the fire.