Supermarket blaze injures 17

A food storeowner and a contractor face legal charges after an accidental fire started in an Ozone Park supermarket injuring 17 people.
Twelve firefighters and five workers suffered smoke inhalation and other minor injuries shortly after 3 a.m. Saturday, June 9 when a propane torch being used by the contractors’ workers in the store to remove floor tiles sparked a blaze at Met Foodmarket located at 102-02 101st Avenue.
The workers from JMX Contractors were performing renovations in the store at the time of the fire. They were locked inside the store, requiring firefighters to break down doors to rescue them.
JMX owner Jose Correa, 48, of Jamaica, was issued a desk appearance ticket by police on a charge of second-degree reckless endangerment, a Class-A misdemeanor. Correa, scheduled to appear in court on July 23, could face up to one year in prison and a $1,000 fine if convicted.
Storeowner Yunes Doleh was issued a summons by the fire marshal on the scene for his store’s lack of an accessible emergency exit. Neither Correa nor Doleh could be reached for comment.
The Queens District Attorney’s office will conduct a further investigation of the incident. It remains unclear when or if the Met Foodmarket will reopen.