Edison Gas Explosion Levels New Jersey Building

EDISON, N.J. — A gas explosion leveled a central New Jersey lawyer's office, just as utility crews were evacuating the area.

Police say a motorist alerted authorities to a roadway collapse and the odor of gas early Monday morning in Edison, N.J. Utility crews were investigating and were in the process of evacuating more than 50 homes and businesses when the explosion occurred about an hour later – shortly after 4:30 a.m.

There are no reports of injuries. The building, a house that was used as a lawyer's office, was destroyed.

About 20 residents took shelter at a nearby senior citizens center. Police say some residents have returned to their homes.

A spokeswoman for utility PSE&G, Bonnie Sheppard, says repairs to the gas main are continuing.

(This version CORRECTS that a residential structure used for an office was destroyed.)

Comments

[TJCole]

06:17 PM on 01/18/2010

They did that years ago to a beautiful house in New Jersey where I grew up...blew up the entire house the guy had built it himself a top mason/carpenter they had just gone and gotten the baby out of the crib in and where all outside by the pool..and Kaboom a road crew working on the street hit a pipe and blew up this guys house blew the roof right off of it blew out the walls these are tremendous explosions due to the compression of the gas inside and then it blows out...

[skunky93]

03:24 PM on 01/18/2010

Wow. I feel sorry for the lawyer who just lost all his files. That's terrible!