A massive explosion of an unoccupied house in New Jersey on Tuesday morning was caught on video and is now released by the Stafford Township police.
Authorities said that the natural gas explosion hurt 15 people, two of whom were critically injured. The incident also prompted dozens of homes to be evacuated and led to the closure of local roads in Stafford Township.
Police initially received a call for an odor inspection due to the strong smell of natural gas. Police officers along with fire fighters and workers from the gas company then went house to house advising people to evacuate as a precaution as they looked for the source of the gas leak.
A fireball coming from an unoccupied house then burst into the sky, knocking people off as glass, wood and other debris exploded. Prior to the explosion, which was caught on a police cruiser's dashboard camera, workers had already suspected that the gas was leaking from the unoccupied house.
"It happened so quickly, the explosion, debris all around us coming from nowhere," said Fire Chief Jack Johnson, who was among those who were hurt. "It knocked you off your feet, a shock wave, the concussion of it. It's something I never want to experience again."
Police Thomas Dellane said that seven workers from the gas company were hurt and two had to be airlifted to the AtlantiCare Regional Trauma Center in Atlantic City. One of the employees was in critical condition, and another was in critical but stable condition.
Nearby structures were also damaged. The houses that were on either side of the completely blasted house, which was under renovation and empty, were severely damaged. Other homes located within several blocks of the explosion were also affected.
"My windows blew out of my house, and I dropped, and I covered my daughter, because she was next to me," said Melissa Lewis, a Stafford Township resident. "I stood up, and I heard them screaming outside, and there were people being taken to the ambulance."
The cause of the explosion is yet to be determined. As of Tuesday evening, about 300 homes in the area did not have gas service; some did not also have electricity.
Stafford Mayor John Spodofora advised that residents who smell strong gas odor to open the windows and leave their home. He also said that the Stafford Township community center can be used by the residents who were displaced because of the incident.
