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Passing motorists stopped and gasped, unable to comprehend a blast so powerful it leveled an entire house, injured 14 people, and killed an 18 month-old boy.
The family of little Rah-quan Lamar Palmer told Eyewitness News that there was absolutely no odor of gas. No warning whatsoever.
But experts say leaking propane would be enough to launch the house off its foundation in less than a minute. The question now is what caused the leak and what caused the gas to ignite.
Marshalls seized two 200-pound propane tanks Tuesday night and are now looking-into what appliances they fuelled and when the most recent shipment was delivered.
The landlord lives in a building in Canarsie where his son asked not to appear on-camera, but told Eyewitness News that plumbers had been working to repair a stubborn water leak in the basement of the home.
While experts say water pipes and propane pipes can be mistaken for one another, and a plumber was present at the time of the blast, it is not clear whether any actual work was on-going.
Without a single, smoking gun, the investigation will take time.
Meanwhile, the local minister is struggling to raise donations for the family who lived here and lost their little boy.
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