An explosion and fire at a Crown Heights NYCHA complex Friday night left one man dead, according to police and fire officials — and a lithium-ion battery was reportedly connected to the blaze.
The 7 p.m. blast rocked the 12th floor of Albany Houses near Prospect Place, drawing more than 120 fire and EMS personnel to the scene.
Firefighters extinguished the flames by 8 p.m.
The fire is connected to a lithium-ion battery, according to NY1.
An 18-year-old man was taken to One Brooklyn Health-Interfaith Medical Center with serious, life-threatening injuries, where he was later pronounced dead by hospital staff, according to police.
A neighbor who knew the family of the victim told PIX11 that they were “talking to the mother last week…we was having good talk about our kids.”
“And that’s messed up how we both moved here young with our small children and for her to lose one…that is tremendous,” she said.
The victim has not been identified and authorities noted that the cause of the explosion is under investigation.
The FDNY could not confirm or deny whether a lithium-ion battery was connected to the fire.
