Yesterday afternoon, a possible gas blast roared through a Queens apartment building, leaving 17 people injured, including a 2-year-old baby and her father, who are both in critical condition.

Firefighters who arrived at the seven-story building located in Flushing neighborhood didn't confirm reports of an explosion. However, City Councilman John Liu officially stated that the tenants in the affected apartments were “literally blown apart.”

“I saw the man who was burnt from head to toe,” one of the inhabitants who witnessed the misfortune told The New York Times. “His clothes were burnt and he was screaming, and he said, ‘Save my baby!’” The man, identified as Edgar Zalbumbide, lost 75 percent of his skin.

It's unclear what lead to the blast. It appears that it came in the middle of a quarrel between the construction’s landlord and residents, who had expressed discontent with the lack of gas and hot water since last month. On Thursday, the gas was restored to different lines in the building, which the Fire Department officials said might have helped started out the accidental explosion on Friday in an apartment situated on the second floor.

Con Ed employees spent most of the day working at the building, inspecting and testing the lines. They all passed inspection, and the utility workers left the edifice an estimated 15 minutes before the explosion took place. Con Ed affirmed the service providers were to be blamed for turning on the appliances and the landlord was guilty for making sure it's safe.

Meanwhile, the occupants were sheltered at the high school across the street until they have the permission to occupy the building again. "After suffering for weeks with no hot water or gas, my constituents now find themselves having to live through an even worse nightmare," John Liu said.