8 NYPD Officers Injured in Queens Apartment Explosion During Domestic Dispute Response

Police were responding to a multi-family residence on 130th Street following a 911 call from a woman reporting a domestic dispute with her estranged husband, officials said.

Audrey Simons

Published: 4/30/2026, 3:32:35 PM EDT

8 NYPD Officers Injured in Queens Apartment Explosion During Domestic Dispute Response — The explosion occurred just before 3 a.m. on April 30, 2026, sparking a five-alarm fire at a residence in Queens, officials said. (Courtesy of FDNY)

An explosion in a Queens apartment sparked a five-alarm fire early Thursday, sending eight NYPD officers to the hospital and injuring several residents, officials said.

The incident unfolded just before 3 a.m., while police were responding to a multi-family residence on 130th Street following a 911 call from a woman reporting a domestic dispute with her estranged husband, who she said had arrived intoxicated and armed with a knife, NYPD Assistant Chief Christopher McIntosh shared during a press briefing Thursday.

McIntosh said security footage from the residence showed the 50-year-old man carrying two garbage bags filled with canisters containing an unknown substance. The man forced his way into the basement apartment, where his estranged wife, daughter, and two grandchildren lived, by pushing out the air conditioning unit, McIntosh added.

The daughter and two grandchildren fled the apartment while the man began menacing and threatening the woman with a knife, McIntosh said. She managed to escape just before police arrived on the scene.

As the officers were trying to enter the residence, McIntosh said a "massive fiery explosion erupted," throwing several officers off their feet and into gates at the front of the building.

"Even after that, after being injured, several of the officers rushed into the danger," he added. "Cops confront these situations every day not knowing if luck will be on their side. Thankfully, today, luck was on their side."

All of the responding officers were hospitalized for minor burns, and one suffered a head laceration that required stitches. Officials said all of the building's residents have been accounted for, and several were also taken to nearby hospitals for treatment.

FDNY crews battled the blaze caused by an explosion at a residence in Queens, officials said. (Courtesy of FDNY) — FDNY crews battled the blaze caused by an explosion at a residence in Queens, officials said. Courtesy of FDNY

Speaking to reporters, FDNY Chief of Department John Esposito said the flames were so severe that crews were unable to search the building before it collapsed.

The neighboring buildings also sustained serious damage, and more than a dozen people were displaced due to the fire.

"It's an ongoing scene, we're going to be here throughout the day as we continue to conduct searches," Esposito said. "It was an extremely dangerous operation for our firefighters."

McIntosh said police had been called to the Queens residence for numerous domestic dispute calls in the past and that the suspect had three expired orders of protection filed by a relative who lived in the apartment, the most recent expiring in 2024.

The man has not yet been located, and the cause of the explosion remains under investigation.