A firefighter was among eight people injured in an explosion inside a boathouse at a U.S. Naval weapons station in New Jersey.
The blast occured at about 9 a.m. during routine maintenance on a utility boat at the Naval Weapons Station Earle in Middletown, N.J., Navy officials said.
The station serves as an ammunition depot, but officials said the explosion didn’t affect any ammunition or ordnance operations. The cause was under investigation. In a statement, officials referred to the blast as an “accident.”
Most of the injured were being treated for smoke inhalation, but at least one suffered more serious injuries.The Navy withheld names of the wounded pending notification of relatives. The injured were taken to River Medical Center in Red Bank, N.J.
Hospital spokeswoman Tria Deibert told the Daily News two of the patients were in “guarded condition” and all others were stable. Deibert declined to specify the condition of the unidentified firefighter.
Fire trucks, ambulances and an emergency medical helicopter had rushed to the scene in the moments after the blast, authorities said.
A section of the roof appeared damaged, NBC 10 Philadelphia reported.
The base sits about 45 miles from New York City on the Jersey shore. It has a workforce of about 1,500 and serves as the “operational support base for five Military Sealift Commands combat logistics ships,” according to the U.S. Navy website. The station provides ordnance for Atlantic Fleet Carrier and Expeditionary Strike Groups, and supports strategic Department of Defense ordnance requirements.
With News Wire Services
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