Early on Mother’s Day, a New Jersey home exploded all of a sudden. As a result, two people, a man and a woman, who remain unidentified, were killed as debris was scattered throughout the neighborhood.
Videos by Suggest
According to NBC10, the incident took place on Sunday, May 11, at around 2 a.m. at a residence located near Tranquility Court and Orion Way. Surveillance footage obtained by the outlet, recorded by the neighborhood doorbell cameras, shows the exact moment that the home erupts in flames. ABC6, however, reports that investigators are treating the incident as a fire and not an explosion.
Neighbors, however, spoke with NBC10 and revealed that they heard a big explosion early Sunday.
“I was terrified, absolutely terrified,” Suzanne Pinto, a neighbor, told the outlet. “Because, I never heard an explosion like that in my life and it just was, the house was, basically, burning to the ground very, very quickly.”
Similarly, neighbor Jimmy Gibson told ABC6 that he heard a “real loud boom.”
“It was loud. I said, ‘Something’s wrong,'” Gibson said. “The whole house was in flames already, that fast, as soon as the explosion happened. I called 911 as I was walking out the house.”
Ongoing Investigation
As per ABC6, investigators revealed on Monday that the explosions heard by neighbors were likely caused after the fire erupted at the house, which also damaged a neighboring residence.
From the debris, authorities were able to retrieve two bodies, belonging to a man and a woman. They remain unidentified, but one neighbor, Michael Gay, spoke about the man with NBC10, saying he used to see him walking his dog.
“He was nice. He was a good guy. Always walked his dog and stuff like that. He was a great guy to talk. He’ll say hi, conversations here and there,” Gay said. “It’s sad. I wouldn’t wish that on anyone. It’s just sad to see people go out that way.”
According to the Gloucester County Prosecutor’s Office, as reported by CBS News, the incident is believed to be isolated. A criminal investigation, however, has been launched, as investigators believe that the incident was not accidental.