Mayor: Gas explosion at New York school caused by lit match

Police investigation claim that the workers were draining the gas coming from the main line in the lab. However, they did not completely drain the gas which set off the explosion.

The worker was testing the valve in a science lab after a new gas line had been installed, the mayor’s office said in an update on the explosion that rattled the Bronx neighborhood and sent debris flying as far as 200 feet.

Three were injured during the explosion and one is in critical condition.

“Last night’s gas explosion at John F. Kennedy High School Campus in Marble Hill was a shock to our community”, said Assemblyman Jeffrey Dinowitz.

The mayor said the building housed eight schools with over 4,000 students, but he couldn’t confirm if the damage would impact the start of school.

“I am grateful for all of the efforts of our first responders in the aftermath of last night’s unfortunate gas explosion at John F. Kennedy High School”, said Councilman Andy Conen.

“I will work diligently with the Mayor, Department of Education, the School Construction Authority and my other colleagues in government to ensure that the damage at the JFK campus is repaired so classes can safely take place there as soon as possible”.

Three construction workers suffered burns in the blast. They are scheduled to start the year on September 9. “The workers working for a contractor for the city for the school construction authority company that we had a good history with, so this is certainly a very surprising incident”.

“It was a thunder, a really loud explosion”, said Addae Hicks, 21, a custodial worker on the school’s sixth floor, while a building custodian thought it was a bomb.

He says many of those details are still being worked on, and it’s not clear when the building will be open again.