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A Nepalese immigrant who was nearly crushed to death in the East Village building explosion last month has filed suit against the landlord over his injuries in a new Manhattan Supreme Court claim.
Machendra Chongbang, a chef at the sushi restaurant where a busboy and patron were killed in the fiery blast and collapse, is grateful that he’s alive — and feels lucky that his family barely escaped Saturday’s devastating earthquake in Nepal.
“By the grace of God, everybody was OK,” said Chongbang’s attorney, Marius Wesser.
The 28-year-old immigrant’s family lives near the scene of the quake. He regularly sent them money until the explosion left him jobless, his lawyer said.
Chongbang suffered head, knee and abdominal injuries, according to the suit.
“He appears to have post-concussion syndrome and post-traumatic stress,” Wesser said.
The Queens resident was in the back kitchen on the ground floor of 121 Second Ave. preparing sushi when “the floor fell out from under” him and he “tumbled down into the basement,” Wesser said.
After the collapse, Chongbang saw “a little pinpoint of light” and followed the voices of rescue workers, who eventually pulled him from the debris, his lawyer explained.
Chongbang is suing the landlord, Mah Realty LLC, for allegedly allowing a defective gas line in the building, which authorities suspect caused the blast. Maria Hrynenko, head of Mah Realty, did not return a message for comment.
Chongbang moved to New York two years ago.
“He came for a better life and to help out his family,” Wesser said.
He was “not planning on getting caught in an exploding building.”
Chongbang is suing for unspecified damages.
He is the third victim to sue over the collapse, although the first two plaintiffs, Lucie Bauermeister, 23, and Anna Ramotowska, 26, didn’t receive a single serious injury.
The duo claimed to suffer emotional damages.
Their building, 129 Second Ave., was only temporarily evacuated.
Still, Ramotowska said the experience caused her “anxiety,” so she was headed to Florida, where she could live with her parents and “be a beach baby, basically,” she told The Post.
The former roommates want $20 million each for their troubles. They sued four defendants including Consolidated Edison, Hrynenko, a contractor who was working at 121 Second Ave. and the owner of Sushi Park.



