Apparent Suicide Attempt Triggers Blast; 6 Hurt

A Van Nuys man apparently trying to commit suicide by turning on his gas stove caused an explosion Thursday that blew the roof off several nearby apartments, injured six people and left 36 homeless, officials said.

Carlus Hasjim, a 21-year-old native of Indonesia, sparked the 12:02 a.m. blast by lighting a cigarette in the bathroom of his second-floor unit in an apartment complex at 6840 N. Kester Ave., Los Angeles Police Sgt. Frank Guarino said.

“The man was trying to commit suicide,” said Anne Biege, a Red Cross spokeswoman.

“The building is devastated,” she said. “The roof was blown off a few units and there are chairs and debris in the swimming pool. The building is uninhabitable.”

Hasjim was blown through the back wall of his apartment, landing on the parking lot below, Guarino said. He suffered second-degree burns and was in serious condition at Sherman Oaks Community Hospital.

Hasjim was arrested at the hospital on suspicion of causing the small fire that was started by the explosion, police arson inspector Ed Reed said.

“The gentleman was apparently despondent, so he came home and turned all the gas jets on in the stove,” Guarino said. “He told us later that he had lit a cigarette in the bathroom and the place just blew up.”

Five other building residents suffered minor injuries, Los Angeles Fire Department spokesman Jim Williamson said.

All 30 apartments in the complex, which houses 36 people, were uninhabitable, Biege said. A damage estimate was not immediately available.

One resident of the complex ran out of her apartment after the explosion screaming, “It’s an earthquake!” Biege said.

In one apartment, plaster fell from walls and a large television set was thrown across the room, officials said.

“If you saw the place, you’d be amazed that more people weren’t hurt worse,” Guarino said. “It looked like it was hit by a big bomb.”

An iron railing was stripped from its foundation, windows were blown out and doors knocked off their hinges in many apartments around a courtyard containing a swimming pool.