Gas explosion destroys NJ office building as crews evacuate nearby homes; no injuries reported

Gas explosion wrecks NJ business; no injuries

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.)