2 more arrests in Hicksville home explosion

Nassau police on Tuesday arrested two men they said caused a small explosion while treating tobacco with acetone for hookah use in a Hicksville home over the weekend.

Davinder Singh, 48, of Oakland Gardens, Queens, and Surender Bhatty, 63, of Carpentersville, Ill., have been charged with first-degree reckless endangerment and fourth-degree arson. They are scheduled to be arraigned in First District Court in Hempstead on Wednesday.

Another man, Dinesh Arora, 38, of Hicksville, is charged with first-degree reckless endangerment. He was arraigned in Hempstead court on Tuesday.

While in the basement of a home at 105 Miller Rd. early Sunday, the men conducted a "tobacco treating" operation for hookah pipe use, police said. It involved treating tobacco with acetone, which created a highly volatile and explosive condition, police said.

While packaging the tobacco, an explosion occurred, which caused the Hicksville Fire Department and officers to respond. Upon arrival, firefighters extinguished a small fire in the basement.

Before police and fire units arrived, Bhatty and Singh had fled the scene, authorities said.

Arora was arrested at the scene, police said.