Divorce case blows up

last updated 8 January 2015

New York City

A 66-year-old physician is suspected of intentionally causing a gas explosion that leveled his four-story town house on Manhattan’s Upper East Side this week. Police say Dr. Nicholas Bartha apparently opened a natural-gas valve in the basement of his building and ignited the fumes; the ensuing explosion brought down the house, badly burning Bartha and injuring a handful of passersby. Last week, Bartha was ordered to vacate and sell the $9 million house, to finance a $4 million divorce settlement. Just hours before the explosion, Bartha sent a rambling, 14-page e-mail to his ex-wife, with copies to New York Gov. George Pataki and other officials. “You will be transformed from gold digger to ash and rubbish digger,” he wrote. “You always wanted me to sell the house. I always told you I will leave the house only if I am dead.”