Deadly house explosion in New Jersey neighborhood
One man is dead and another is injured after a house explosion in Middlesex County, New Jersey.
Fox – Fox 29
SOUTH RIVER – One person was killed and another seriously injured in a home explosion that rocked a borough neighborhood Thursday evening.
Borough resident Kevin Gilbert, 62, was discovered with fatal injuries and was pronounced dead at the scene, according to a statement from Middlesex County Prosecutor Yolanda Ciccone and South River Police Chief Mark Tinitigan.
A second man was transported to Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital for treatment, authorities said.
More: ‘Like an earthquake but more intense’: South River neighbors describe house explosion
Mayor Peter Guindi had said earlier at a press conference that two people had died, but later corrected his statement.
At approximately 7:03 p.m., authorities responded to a residence on Continental Court off Leonardine Avenue following a report of an explosion.
Upon their arrival, they located the two men, who had sustained serious injuries from the explosion, authorities said.
South River Fire Chief Craig Miller said upon arrival, the home seemed to be completely leveled. There was a lot of debris on the roadway and neighboring lawns, he said.
Neighbors were evacuated safely, Miller said.
The fire was extinguished, but fire officials remained on scene Thursday night.
The mayor said when he arrived on scene the house was “flattened out.”
“It was a horrific scene,” he said. “Houses and cars around had windows blown out. Garage doors were pushed in. We didn’t know if there was anybody in the house. All the houses were evacuated as soon as we got here.”
Police asked that all motorists and pedestrians avoid the area of Continental Court, Heritage Drive and the lower end of Leonardine Avenue so the area is clear for emergency vehicles and crews accessing the scene.
The cause of the fire is under investigation, he said.
Anyone with information is asked to call South River Police Detective Patrick Molina 732-238-1000 or Detective Matthew Colonna of the Middlesex County Prosecutor’s Office at 732-745-3354.
It is the second explosion in Middlesex County in consecutive days.
A 73-year-old South River woman was killed and four others injured in an explosion at a commercial building in Old Bridge on Wednesday.
Email: sloyer@gannettnj.com
Susan Loyer covers Middlesex County and more for MyCentralJersey.com. To get unlimited access to her work, please subscribe or activate your digital account today.