A man suffered burns and other injuries when his home exploded in the early morning hours of June 11. “He was charred and it looked like projectiles had hit him in the face,” a witness told ABC News.
The blast which occurred around 4 a.m. on Sunday morning, knocked the house, located at 85 Hopkinson Ave. off of its foundation. A fireball ignited what remained of the home.
Witnesses described the sound of the explosion like a bomb going off. After firefighters from Piscataway’s Arbor Hose and North Stelton put out the fire, all the remained was the foundation of the home. The explosion knocked out power for a 10-block radius of the area leaving 1,900 customers in the area without electricity for a time. Piscataway is located about 45 minutes southwest of New York City.
Investigators from the local police department and the Middlesex Count Prosecutor’s Office are investigating the cause of the explosion. Mayor Brian Wahler said a gas leak is one of the possible causes.
The injured man, who is in his 50s, is believed to be the homeowner. He was airlifted to Saint Barnabas Medical Center in Livingston, NJ where he is in critical condition. He is being treated for second-degree burns, which affect the first two layers of skin, and other injuries which likely include smoke inhalation and penetrating trauma from flying debris.
“If you look at the scope of the damage that was done here, it’s amazing that somebody could actually live through this,” Wahler told News12.
The explosion lawyers at Pritzker Hageman represent clients who are injured in explosions. They understand how long and difficult the road to recovery can be and help hold responsible parties including gas companies, propane dealers and others accountable for injuries. Recently they secured a $10 million settlement for one client who was severely burned in a gas explosion. Fred Pritzker and Eric Hageman are our lead attorneys for these cases. You can contact them for a free consultation using this online form. Or, if you prefer, reach them by phone by calling 1(888) 377-8900. The number is toll-free and there is no obligation.
