Police have released video of a house explosion in New Jersey. Police had been called to a home in Stafford Township around 9 a.m. on Tuesday morning due to reports of a gas leak. Around 10:30 a.m., the house—which was empty and under renovation—suddenly exploded. You can see the video of it below taken from the dash cam of a cop car.
Over 15 people were injured altogether, including seven gas company utility workers; two of them were placed in critical condition. Six Stafford firefighters and two Stafford EMS technicians suffered "concussion-type injuries." The house was completely blown apart by the blast: "Currently, there is nothing remaining there but a block basement," said Stafford Police Capt. Thomas Dellane.
About 80 homes in the area were evacuated due to safety concerns initially; 300 homes were without gas service in the area as of Tuesday evening. "My windows blew out of my house and I dropped and I covered my daughter, because she was next to me," neighbor Melissa Lewis told NBC. "I stood up and I heard them screaming outside and there were people be taken to the ambulance."
The New Jersey Board of Public Utilities is investigating the explosion and will make a final determination on a cause, but officials don't believe any criminal actions were involved.
