QUEENS — An explosion triggered by a roach-killing bug bomb blew out a wall between two first-floor apartments in Sunnyside Monday morning, raining debris and injuring one tenant who was hit by a falling TV, fire officials said.
The fire department received a call about 11 a.m. for the explosion at 39-20 Greenpoint Ave., near 39th Street, an FDNY spokesman said.
"We heard a boom. It was very loud," said seventh-floor tenant Sebastian Lena.
The force of the blast blew a 10-by-12-foot hole in the wall between two apartments on the first floor, officials said.
A stove pilot light, which should have been switched off, may have ignited the toxic gases from the bug bomb, fire officials said.
A man suffered minor injuries in the explosion after debris from the wall knocked a television set onto him, firefighters said. He was taken to Elmhurst Hospital.
In July, similar devices exploded in a Chinatown building, causing it to collapse and injure eight people.
The wall was not load bearing so the explosion didn't affect the building's stability, a Department of Buildings spokeswoman said.
However, the DOB issued a mandatory order to vacate for the two affected apartments, the spokeswoman said.
ConEdison crews were also on the scene afterwards.
