A gas explosion at a Flushing, NY apartment complex that seriously burned two tenants is also responsible for spreading asbestos and other toxic substances throughout the area.

According to an article in the Queens Chronicle, Con Edison is denying responsibility for the gas explosion, despite the fact that one of their employees left the complex just minutes before it happened. In all, 17 people were injured in the explosion including a handful of firemen that were called upon to fight the blaze that occurred after the explosion.

A few days after the mishap, fears of asbestos and other contaminants had city officials suited up in hazmat gear for a combined agency task force inspection of the apartment complex, the article notes. As a matter of fact, a fire department spokesperson said the bulk of the inspections were centering on asbestos and that it was difficult to say when tenants at the 90-unit apartment complex would be allowed back into their homes and if their belongings would survive the fire and the asbestos contamination.

The diversity of the population at the Flushing apartment building further complicated matters because communicating with many of the non-English-speaking tenants was difficult and many didn’t understand why they weren’t allowed back in to claim their property and why some articles were seemingly being thrown away indiscriminantly.

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