One dead, four injured in Old Bridge explosion, fire

OLD BRIDGE – The Old Bridge Township Police Department is investigating a structure fire at 178 West Greystone Road, which left a 73-year-old South River woman dead and four others injured.

Eileen Marco, an employee, was pronounced dead at the scene, Middlesex County Prosecutor Yolanda Ciccone and Old Bridge Police Chief Thomas J. Montagna said in a statement.

At about 11:21 a.m. Wednesday, police responded to calls of a loud explosion across from the Jonas Salk Middle School on West Greystone Road, police said. There were additional calls of smoke coming from the commercial building, Superior Signal Company, across the street from the school, police said.

The school immediately sheltered in place, police said.

Arriving units advised of a working structure fire with possible entrapment.

Township police reported that a 57-year-old female suffered severe burns to her face and hands and was transported to Cooperman Barnabas Medical Center via helicopter. A 29-year-old man was also transported to Cooperman Barnabas Medical Center for burns to his arms and hands via helicopter, police said. A 65-year-old woman was transported to Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital for minor burns via ambulance, police said. A 62-year-old man was also transported to Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital for smoke inhalation via ambulance, police said.

The 65-year-old woman and 62-year-old man, who were transported to Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital by ambulance, were released the same day with minor injuries, according to the prosecutor's office.

At the scene, police said there are three separate facilities at the site. The front building is the one that appears to be damaged. Police said they had not walked through the scene Wednesday afternoon because they were unsure what chemicals were there.

Additional police, EMS and fire units responded to the scene from Spotswood, East Brunswick, Marlboro and Monroe to assist. Middlesex County Hazmat and state Forest Service were also on scene, police said.

While the investigation is ongoing, a preliminary investigation led by the New Jersey State Police, Old Bridge Police Department, Middlesex County Prosecutor’s Office, and local, state, and county Fire Marshals indicates that the explosion is not suspicious in nature and foul play is not suspected.

Superintendent of Schools David Cittadino later said that out of an abundance of caution, the Old Bridge Police Department and the Office of Emergency Management directed the evacuation of the Salk school to Voorhees Elementary School, where the students would be dismissed.

All Salk students and staff are safe, Cittadino said.

Anyone with information is asked to call Old Bridge Police Detective Keith Weiss at 732-721-5600 or Detective Matthew Colonna of the Middlesex County Prosecutor's Office at 732-745-3354.

Email: sloyer@gannettnj.com

Susan Loyer covers Middlesex County and more for MyCentralJersey.com. To get unlimited access to her work, please subscribe or activate your digital account today.

This article originally appeared on MyCentralJersey.com: One dead, four injured in Old Bridge explosion, fire