Home explosion kills construction worker

By Amy Teeple

Published on June 09, 2006

The explosion killed Antonio Tapia, 27, and severely burned two other workers, 30 and 26, whose names are being withheld. One of the homeowners, Tzipori Friedman, was home with a decorator at the time of the explosion, but they both survived the blast and subsequent fire that gutted the three-story house.

New York firefighters believe that the explosion was caused by the use of flammable sealant in the project. The waterproofing material used was Rub-R-Wall, a product with a label that clearly warns "DO NOT SPRAY INDOORS OR IN CONFINED SPACES." A spark from a power tool most likely sparked the fumes from the misused sealant.

The workers, employed by JM Pereira & Sons, had been hired to seal a mikvah (an 8-foot-deep ritual bath traditionally used by Orthodox Jews for cleansing rituals) in the basement of a home.

Prior to the tragedy, city officials had ordered work on the bath to be stopped since the owners never obtained a permit for the construction.

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