NEW YORK (1010 WINS) -- A leaky kitchen gas hose was blamed Sunday for an apartment building explosion that threw residents against walls, blew out their windows and hurled debris into the streets.
"The source of the explosion was natural gas, which fire marshals believe leaked from a flexible hose connection behind a stove in a first-floor rear apartment," Fire Department of New York spokesman Tony Sclafani said.
1010 WINS VIDEO: Gas Leak Blamed in Harlem Blast
Saturday's blast sent more than 20 people, including four badly burned girls, to hospitals.
The girls, Duca Alghaithi, 5, Tuca Alghaithi, 4, Lina Alghaithi, 3, and Afas Alghaithi, 1, and their mother were in critical 
condition, New York-Presbyterian Hospital/Weill Cornell Medical Center spokesman John Rogers said.
The Harlem building was shored up, but a vacate order would be in effect until it was deemed safe for occupancy, a Department of Buildings spokeswoman said. The order also applied to a building next door; another adjacent building was evacuated, but residents later were allowed to return after it was deemed safe.
Local utility Consolidated Edison said investigators checked pipes going from the street to gas meters and apartments and found all of them to be working properly.
Witnesses said the blast shattered windows and pitched air conditioners onto the sidewalk.
1010 WINS AUDIO: Terry Sheridan Reports
Some residents said one apartment was operating as an illegal restaurant, cooking and selling takeout food to taxi drivers. But the Department of Buildings said investigators found no evidence of a restaurant.
1010 WINS Boroughs & 'Burbs: Manhattan
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