A powerful explosion destroyed a home in Queens early Thursday as New York City Police Department officers responded to a report of a man armed with a knife and a gas smell.

Eight officers were injured, mostly with minor burns and trauma, after being thrown back by the blast as they approached the house.

Police said body camera footage shows the explosion erupting just as officers were entering the residence, followed by smoke and debris filling the scene.

Authorities believe the incident was linked to an intoxicated man who entered the home carrying unknown substances, though he remains unaccounted for, ABC News has reported.

The explosion destroyed the house, damaged nearby homes, and narrowly avoided a more severe loss of life.