'My baby, my baby': Distraught mother, 23, pulled from rubble of illegal rooming house after massive explosion kills her 18-month-old son and injures 14 others

• Toddler Rah-Quan Palmer killed in the blast on Long Island
• Property had been illegally converted into a rooming house with eight bedrooms being rented out for $300-a-month
• Two 200-pound propane gas tanks were found on the premises
• Homeowner Marcel Richard forced difficult tenant to move out in 2010 leaving comments on prayer websites saying he wanted to 'cleanse the place of all insanity'

A distraught mother screamed 'my baby, my baby' after her 18-month-old son was found dead in an apparent gas-related explosion that destroyed a house and injured 14 others.
Toddler Rah-Quan Palmer was killed in the terrifying blast which took place just before noon on Tuesday in a Long Island suburb of New York City, reducing the building to a pile of wood splinters and rubble.
The child's mother Christina Morgan, 23, was pulled from the rubble covered in blood. She sobbed as a police officer lifted her son's body from the remains of their home.

Destruction: The home in Long Island, New York was completely destroyed after an apparent gas explosion. An 18-month-old boy died and 14 others were injured

Killed: Rah-Quan Palmer, 18 months, died in the huge explosion at a home in Brentwood, Long Island

Witness Maria Ayala, 54, told the New York Daily News: 'You could see blood on her ears and arms. Some neighbors brought the dad out, too. . . . I went to him. The skin was peeling off his arms. It looked painful. I could not look anymore.'
The child's father Rashamel Palmer, 28, had tried to protect his son from the falling debris but was knocked unconscious, according to his uncle Leonard Knight.
Mr Palmer posted on Facebook today: 'This pain is unbearable...please pray for me.'
Seven people were inside the home on Prospect Drive, Brentwood at the time of the blast.
All that was left after the explosion was a heap of wood, mattresses and children's toys. Shredded clothing could be seen hanging from a tree, 30 feet up in the air. 
The air conditioners in one neighbor's home were blown out and a window was knocked out of its casing.
Brentwood Fire Department Inspector Robert Keane said the initial investigation indicated the explosion 'could be gas-related'.
A police official said there were two, 200-pound propane gas tanks on the premises, but that no natural gas lines were present on the block.

Carnage: The house was reduced to small shards of wood and other building material

The property had been illegally converted into a rooming house with eight bedrooms being rented out for $300-a-month

At the time of the explosion, a plumber was working on a leak in the basement.
The suburban house is owned by 62-year-old Marcel Richard, from Brooklyn, and his wife. The property was sold for $410,000 in 2005.
The property had been illegally converted into a rooming house with at least eight rooms, being rented for $300 a month, according to Islip town spokeswoman Inez Birbiglia. Richard was fined $3,000 last year for the dangerous practice.
The current tenants, distant relatives of Richard's wife, moved into the home in 2011 after a difficult resident, known as Duke, was forced to move out.

Troubling remarks: Homeowner Marcel Richard forced a difficult tenant to move out in 2010 leaving comments on prayer websites saying he wanted to 'cleanse the place of all insanity'

The situation came to light after homeowner Richard posted comments on prayer websites in November 2010.
He wrote on ourchurch.com, that he wanted to 'cleanse the place of all insanity', according to the Daily News.
Residents, neighbors, the plumber and rescuers were among those who were hurt or suffered from smoke inhalation yesterday. They emerged from the building with tattered clothes and blood-soaked faces.
Three of the injured had been inside the house and were in serious condition. Authorities said they did not know if they owned the house or were renters.

Investigation: Police said they'll be at the scene all night

Devastation: Surrounding houses in the middle class neighborhood also were damaged by the blast

'Everything shook,' said Dave Grant, who heard the explosion and raced about seven blocks to the scene.
When he arrived, he smelled gas and heard a policewoman yelling, 'We need help! We need help!'
He saw other officers holding up part of the roof and said: 'I just dove in to help. We just grabbed one guy in there. They lifted that roof up to get the guy out.'
Anthony Acevedo, 16, who lives up the street, said he was working on his computer just before noon.
'I heard a huge explosion, just like "boom," and like the house shook,' he said.

Destroyed: All that remains of the home is a pile of debris

Mystery: Police said it will be a long time before they know what caused the devastating explosion

'Things were falling off the walls. I thought a tree had fallen on our house. The neighbor up the street was yelling "they need help, they need help," so I quickly ran to call 911.
'One guy came out, he was just all burned; his clothes were ripped. Then they got a girl out and she kept screaming, "Oh my God, my baby's in there; get my baby out."'
Lt. Jack Fitzpatrick, chief of the Suffolk County homicide squad, said it would be some time before a precise cause was known. There were no immediate signs that foul play was involved.

Rescue efforts: The 18-month-old baby was rushed to hospital but he died

Distressing: Life in the quiet neighbourhood was changed in a matter of minutes