The owner of the East Village building that blew up last week and left two dead people could yet face criminal charges , it has emerged . Nicholas Figueroa , 23 , and Moises Locon , 26 , both died when the Manhattan apartment building collapsed last Thursday following a massive blast . Investigators have now shifted their focus to what caused the explosion , with suggestions someone may have improperly tapped a gas line serving one of the buildings . Scroll down for video . The clean up continued yesterday at the site where several buildings collapsed following the ferocious blaze . A crane removes large pieces of debris as firefighters watch on from the roof of a neighbouring building . Firefighters watch the clean up continue at the site of the explosion which killed two people . In August utility workers discovered the gas line to the restaurant had been illegally tapped , it has emerged . Nicholas Figueroa ( left ) was killed in the explosion while on a date , while Moises Lucon ( right ) worked at the restaurant and was identified yesterday as the second victim . The New York Post reported an investigation is now underway into possible gas tapping , with a criminal case expanded to include Haria Hrynenko , the building 's landlord . Sources told the paper possible charges include second-degree manslaughter and reckless endangerment . The explosion at 121 Second Avenue in the East Village set alight the property , while its neighboring buildings , 119 , 123 and 125 Second Avenue , were also engulfed before all three buildings completely collapsed to the ground , leaving a massive hole on the corner of the block at 7th Street . The medical examiner yesterday confirmed the identity of the second victim using DNA analysis as that of restaurant worker Moises Locon . He had been working six days a week and his family said during his free time he enjoyed taking his nephew to a Queens park . He was reported missing after the explosion and his body found days later . Another 22 people were injured . Meanwhile , in August , utility workers had discovered that the gas line to the restaurant had been illegally tapped , according to Consolidated Edison . Firefighters battle the flames following the explosion at 121 Second Avenue in the East Village last week . The off-duty first responder reached the ground just in time , because just moments later the fire intensified . Horror : Looking towards the fire from Astor Place , flames could be seen reaching into the sky . The discovery led Con Edison to shut down gas service to the building for about 10 days while the building owner made repairs . Gas service was restored after the utility deemed it safe , the utility said . Inspectors from Con Ed visited that building about an hour before last week 's explosion and determined work to upgrade gas service did n't pass inspection , locking the line to ensure it would n't be used and then leaving , it was claimed . The work underway was to put in a bigger line to serve the entire building , Con Ed President Craig Ivey said . Fifteen minutes later , the sushi restaurant 's owner smelled gas and called the landlord , who called the general contractor , Chief of Detectives Robert Boyce said . No one called emergency dispatch or Con Ed . The contractor , Dilber Kukic , and the owner 's son went into the basement and opened a door , and then the explosion happened , burning their faces , Boyce said . Kukic - who 's facing unrelated charges of bribing an undercover investigator posing as a housing inspector - declined through his lawyer to comment on the circumstances surrounding the explosion . Firefighters continued to blast water at pockets of flames among the rubble the following day . Photographs taken on Friday showed three buildings entirely collapsed following the explosion . The city 's mayor said it could take up to a week for the rubble to be cleared from the explosion site .
owners of Manhattan building which exploded will face criminal charges . Nicholas Figueroa , 23 , and el Locon , 23 , perished in the huge explosion . Authorities are now filing a case against the company , it has been claimed . Investigators are looking into possibility gas was leaking from next door .