2 dead after explosion blows South Jersey home to bits

NEWFIELD — At least two people died after a house exploded in a small South Jersey borough on Saturday morning.

The explosion occurred about 6:45 a.m. on the 300 block of Oakwood Drive, police told New Jersey 101.5.

The Gloucester County Prosecutor's Office said Saturday that two people had been confirmed dead, although their identities were not immediately released.

Investigators do not suspect foul play but did not say what they believe may have caused the blast.

KYW Newsradio reporter Tim Jimenez tweeted from the explosion scene that "debris is everywhere in the neighborhood - insulation, paperwork, etc."

6 ABC Action News reported a debris field spreading for two blocks.

The explosion could be felt for several blocks in this borough along Routes 40 and 55 in Gloucester County.

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The was no word on how many people may have been in the home.

The Gloucester County Fire Marshal, the County Office of Emergency Management, the New Jersey State Police Arson/Bomb Unit, the state Division of Fire Safety, the federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Franklin Township Police Department were on the scene investigating.

"Oh my gosh! Is that what that was? I just wrote about it on my main page and my house shifted," according to an account of the explosion on the Vineland, NJ Police Department Talk Facebook page.

"A felt a thump and my heart was beating fast. I went outside to see if a tree fell on my roof or something and did not see anything. I was thinking maybe it was something hard that crashed...maybe even a train car or something. Too much of a shake to be just a car crash. I looked down the street though to see if it was a car crash really close and maybe something fell like a pole or something."

 

The news site AlanticCity911 reported the fire chief on scene said the home was "completely leveled" and an evacuation of the area was underway.