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City authorities are investigating a Bronx contractor in the massive gas explosion that rocked the East Village and brought down three buildings, injuring at least 25 people and leaving two missing, sources told The Post on Friday.
Dilber Kukic, owner of Neighborhood Construction Corp., had a permit to do plumbing work and other renovations at 121 Second Ave., where sources said “careless” workers accidentally ruptured a gas main Thursday afternoon.
The Manhattan District Attorney’s Office, the Department of Investigation, the Buildings Department and the NYPD are all looking into what role Kukic may have played in the blast, sources said.
“Right now, he’s been very helpful. He also actually helped extricate one of the individuals that was injured. So right now he’s not under arrest,” Chief of Detectives Robert Boyce said.
Boyce also said Kukic’s arrest last month on bribery charges “doesn’t seem relevant in this case right now, but going forward we’ll see as we go forward.”
Kukic, who may have been injured in the blast, was among 50 suspects busted in a widespread corruption scheme involving more than a dozen housing and building inspectors.
Kukic, 39, allegedly paid $600 to fix housing code violations at two buildings he owned in Upper Manhattan.
Kukic’s lawyer refused to comment on “any potential investigations” into Thursday’s blast.
“What happened yesterday is a horrible tragedy and our thoughts are with the victims,” lawyer Mark Bederow said.
