[Updated July 24, 2023 to include a statement from PSE&G about the incident]
A gas leak is a suspected source of a July 21 explosion at the Stephen Crane Village housing complex in Newark that injured six people. Witnesses heard a loud boom and felt the ground shake when the blast occurred around 6 p.m., blowing out the sides of the 60-year-old building owned by the Newark Housing Authority.
Residents and neighbors told local media they believed a gas leak caused the explosion because they had been smelling gas for months. Neighbors told FOX5 News that PSE&G crews have been in the neighborhood working on gas lines and also that renovations to make some first-floor units at Stephen Crane Village wheelchair accessible were also ongoing. The city of Newark is investigating.
PSE&G released the following statement to media – “PSE&G crews responded to Friday’s incident, which remains under investigation, to shut off utilities to help make the area safe. Saturday, we had crews doing unrelated work in the area. For more information, contact the City of Newark, which is investigating.”
Were You Injured in an Explosion?
Thirty-one people – 28 adults and three children, were displaced by the explosion. The Red Cross is working to help find shelter for them.
Newark Public Safety Director Fritz Fragé said five of the six injured people were hospitalized. Initially, three were taken to University Hospital and two were transported to Clara Maass Medical Center, but one patient who suffered severe burn injuries was transferred to Cooperman Barnabas Medical Center in Livingston, according to a report from TapIntoNewark.
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