Gas Explosion Injures 5, Destroys Perth Amboy Apartment Building

An out-of-control car broke a natural gas line outside a building housing a coin laundry and apartments Thursday morning, causing an explosion and fire that injured five people and left nearly 60 homeless.

Three firefighters and two Elizabethtown Gas Co. workers suffered minor injuries, police said. Officials said the workers were trying to cap the gas line just before the explosion occurred.

Officials said the gas line was severed at about 2:50 a.m. Police and firefighters evacuated the building. The explosion and fire occurred about an hour later.

The fire was brought under control within an hour, but the blast blew out windows a block away and sent debris flying in all directions. The four-story building was destroyed.

The building is near rail lines used by the North Jersey Coast Line, and service on the line was temporarily suspended in both directions around 5:30 a.m. so inspectors could determine whether the tracks and other equipment had been damaged. Service was restored about 30 minutes later, but some delays were reported during the morning commute.

In addition to the residents of the building, dozens of nearby residents were evacuated as a precaution. The American Red Cross set up a shelter for the displaced residents.

The car's driver had not been identified and the cause of the crash remained under investigation.