Investigators Rule Out Stove as Cause of Borough Park Explosion

A memorial in front of Francisca Figueroa’s closed Park Slope salon

Doubts have arisen about the initial theory the improper removal of a gas stove was to blame for this past weekend’s fatal Borough Park explosion.

Officials have learned the second floor stove in question had been disconnected from gas since June, due to unpaid bills, reported the Wall Street Journal.

Furthermore, suicidal notes on social media from blast victim Francisca Figueroa were found to be dated to the morning of the explosion.

Figueroa, who ran Franchezka Unisex, a beauty salon on 5th Avenue and 12th Street in Park Slope, was in financial straits and in the process of moving out of her apartment. She and her landlord had settled in housing court regarding months of unpaid rent. Figueroa was supposed to be out of her apartment by September 30.

Friend and family of Figueroa have expressed surprise to various publications that she was suicidal and experiencing financial troubles. Those who have spoken to the media have almost unanimously described her as seeming happy and content.

With investigations regarding the blast’s cause ongoing, 49 residents of affected buildings remain displaced.

[Source: WSJ | Photos: Hannah Frishberg]

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