Plumber’s Infiniti SUV explodes on Queens block minutes before family was set to get into the vehicle

A Queens plumber and his family narrowly averted catastrophe Friday morning when his SUV exploded outside their home just minutes before they were set to pile into the vehicle.
A leaking gas cylinder inside the Infiniti QX56 SUV blew up on 133rd St. near 131st Ave. in South Ozone Park about 6:45 a.m., turning the vehicle into a twisted mass of scorched metal and scattering debris that damaged nearby homes and cars, FDNY officials said.
Investigators were looking into whether the gas ignited when the father started the engine remotely with his key fob — sparing him and his family from a fiery death.
“I was cooking,” plumber Jeremy Harricharam told the Daily News Friday, adding that he was about to leave the house with his wife, child and mother so he could drop them all off before beginning his work day.
“This happened five minutes before all of us were going to go into that vehicle,” said Harricharam, 41, pointing at the pitted wreck of his SUV. “I don’t know what to think. I’m just in shock.”
The massive explosion rocked the quiet street, witnesses said. Parts of the SUV flew off in all directions, damaging at least five parked cars and the exteriors of several homes. The blast also blew out windows up and down the block.
Pieces of debris were found hanging from electrical wires as firefighters responded. No injuries were reported.
Firefighters put out the flames within a few minutes, but the sheer force of the blast gave them pause. The FDNY called in the NYPD Bomb Squad to assist in the investigation, FDNY Deputy Chief George Healy said.
“We suppressed the fire and took a cautious approach and fell back,” Healy said in a briefing near where the explosion took place. “In cooperation with the NYPD Bomb Squad and the fire marshals, we came to understand that this vehicle was being used for some construction.
“There were some pressurized cylinders in the vehicle and one of those cylinders experienced a failure that led to this catastrophic explosion of the car,” Healy said.
The gas coming from the ruptured cylinder may have ignited when Harricharam started the SUV from inside his house with his key fob, Healy said.
“There was some discussion that [the owner] activated the auto start, but that would be part of the investigation,” Healy said.
Several people had just walked past the vehicle before it blew up, Healy said. “There had been some people on the street, but we’re very pleased to say that no injuries were involved,” the chief said.