A massive explosion that tore through a quiet neighborhood in Washington Township, New Jersey, killing two people and leveling a home, is now the focus of a criminal investigation. Authorities confirmed the blast was not accidental.
The explosion rocked the Gloucester County community around 2:02 a.m. Sunday morning, sending neighbors into a panic and prompting a flood of 911 calls.
“It sounded like a bomb went off,” said Suzanne Pinto, who lives several blocks away.
When police arrived at 13 Tranquility Court, they found the house engulfed in flames and completely destroyed. Fire crews quickly followed and extinguished the blaze, but the destruction was total.
The bodies of a man and woman were later pulled from the rubble. Their names have not yet been released, but prosecutors have labeled the deaths “suspicious.” They declined to offer further details at this time.
“The explosion is under criminal investigation,” the Washington Township Police Department said in a statement Monday, echoing comments from the Gloucester County Prosecutor’s Office.
Authorities from multiple agencies—including local police, township fire officials, the prosecutor’s office, and the New Jersey Fire Marshal—are working to determine what triggered the blast and whether foul play was involved.
Jimmy Gibson, who lives nearby, described the terrifying moment. “It was a real loud boom. I said, ‘Something’s wrong,’” he told ABC affiliate WPVI. “The whole house was in flames… as soon as the explosion happened.”
Video footage from the scene shows the aftermath: a smoldering pile of debris where the home once stood, a nearby car damaged, and neighboring homes shaken by the blast. At least one adjacent home sustained visible damage.
Neighbor Jill Rauf said she and her husband grabbed their dog and ran outside. “I’ve never seen anything like that before,” she said.
As investigators comb through the wreckage, the community is left on edge—and looking for answers.
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