A police car’s dash cam caught the dramatic moment a house “disintegrated” while crews were nearby searching for a reported gas leak.
An Ocean County, New Jersey home was being tended to by gas company workers and isolated by police when the explosion happened.
“The house has been disintegrated,” according to Stafford Township Mayor John Spodofora.
“My windows blew out of my house, and I dropped, and I covered my daughter, because she was next to me,” Stafford Township resident Melissa Lewis tells NBC 10. “I stood up, and I heard them screaming outside, and there were people being taken to the ambulance.”
All told, 15 people were injured in the blast, including seven gas company workers who were near the house, trying to find the source of the leak.
One suffered “extremely critical injuries” and required CPR at the scene.
That man and and a co-worker were airlifted to AtlantiCare Regional Medical Center’s Trauma Unit where they remained in critical condition, according to NJ Natural Gas spokesperson Mike Kinney.
ABC 6 reports the gas line had a crack at the street and the gas collected in a utility room of the home.
“A lot of our things broke up, but you know what? It’s just things. We could have gotten hurt, so I’m very grateful that nothing worse happened,” says Liz Thomas, who lives two doors down from the leveled house.
Leave a Comment
COMMENTS POLICY: We have no tolerance for messages of violence, racism, vulgarity, obscenity or other such discourteous behavior. Thank you for contributing to a respectful and useful online dialogue.