- A catastrophic explosion in New Jersey results in three fatalities, with one resident still unaccounted for.
- Two girls injured in the blast receive airlifted medical attention, as displaced locals turn to the Red Cross.
- Authorities treat the incident as a criminal case, intensifying investigations to unearth the cause of the explosion.
Three residents in New Jersey have tragically lost their lives, while at least one other remains missing, following a house explosion that left the property in ruins and also impacted nearby homes. The explosion took place around 10:35 a.m. yesterday in the 300 block of Northwest Boulevard, Buena Township, Atlantic County. The cause of the explosion is still under investigation by federal and local authorities and thus remains uncertain.
The aftermath of the explosion has left two girls injured and several people without homes. A 1-year-old baby girl and a 16-year-old teenager were among those hurt in the blast. Both girls were airlifted to St. Christopher’s Hospital for Children in Philadelphia for treatment. Among the occupants of the exploded house were two boys, ages 2 and 3, and two men, aged 52 and 73. The identities of the deceased have not been released, and it remains unclear if they are the aforementioned occupants.
The Atlantic County Prosecutor’s Office raised the death count today, Friday, after the discovery of a third fatality. The damage from the explosion has been extensive, with at least two neighboring homes rendered uninhabitable due to fire damage and broken windows. These homes were very close to the site of the explosion, according to Franklin Township Police Chief Matthew DeCesari.
Further resources:
- Young boy dies in car accident on White Horse Pike while sleeping in his father’s parked Honda during a fishing trip in Absecon
- Bodies of Michael and Patricia Zaccario discovered in nursing home shooting at CareOne at Wellington, Bergen County
- Eight-year-old boy drowns in Morris County’s Flanders stream tragedy in Roxbury, New Jersey
Chief DeCesari stated that the situation is being handled as a criminal case until the cause of the explosion can be determined, as reported by ABC News. He refrained from commenting on the potential causes of the explosion and noted that investigations would continue on the scene over the next few days. Special equipment is being brought in to examine what remains of the destroyed residence.
The Red Cross is currently assisting those who have been displaced by the disaster. Some residents who were forced to evacuate have already managed to return to their homes. This incident follows a similar tragedy that occurred two days earlier, 72 miles away. In that incident, two children and two adults died when the roof of a small building in Lacey Township, Ocean County, collapsed during a fire.