At least 3 still hospitalized after explosion in Logan Township, New Jersey, including company owner, sources say
At least three people remain hospitalized after an explosion and fire Wednesday afternoon in Logan Township, New Jersey.
The explosion at Savita Naturals, which processes cocoa butter for the chocolate industry, happened just after 2:30 p.m. Local officials say the facility on Heron Drive keeps large amounts of propane on the property.
The owner and president of the company and three employees are among the people who were wounded in the explosion, sources told CBS News Philadelphia. Three additional people took themselves to a hospital after the explosion, Gloucester County Emergency Management officials said in an update shared to Facebook on Thursday. Their condition is unclear as of Thursday evening.
The parents of one of the victims were near the scene Thursday to pick up their son's car. They said their son worked at the company for 10 years and was in the building at the time of the explosion. He was badly injured and was transported from Cooper University Hospital to Temple's burn unit, where he remains in critical condition.
Hospital officials at Cooper said a second victim was also transferred to Temple, and another remains hospitalized at Thomas Jefferson University Hospital. One person was treated and released. Another person experienced a medical emergency nearby.
Officials said Wednesday that everyone was accounted for and did not report any fatalities.
Gloucester County officials said Thursday evening crews are conducting a controlled burn of the remaining fuels at the site, which could take several days. Much of the 600 block of Heron Drive remains closed, but local employees are allowed access, officials said. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives is working with local agencies to investigate the explosion, an ATF spokesperson said.
One witness said he was in his car when the blast happened and drove to Savita Naturals, arriving before first responders.
He said he saw an older man on the ground badly injured, and another victim ripped off most of his clothes because his clothes caught fire and he was badly burned.
Savita Naturals is a family-owned and operated business with two generations working at the facility, according to its website.
The explosion caused several nearby buildings to shake, and ceiling tiles fell down in others in the complex. At least two other businesses sustained damage. The side of a neighboring building was severely damaged, and its siding melted off. Buildings as far as a mile away reportedly sustained damage during the blast, emergency officials said.
Many of the businesses in the industrial complex were back open Thursday, but some workers said they were still rattled by what happened and are praying for everyone who was hurt.
"Still a little shaken up, it was definitely a surreal experience. ... It's important at the end of the day everyone goes to work and they get to come back home to their families, so that's what we're wishing for the folks that were in that facility," Andrew Thomas said.
"For all those that are still in critical condition, whatever conditions they are in, just hoping for a full recovery because that's all we want," Joe Tracy said.
Clonmell United Methodist Church, a church in nearby Gibbstown, started a meal train to support one of the victims and his family, who are part of the congregation.
The church posted that the husband and father suffered burns on 25% of his body and has a long road to recovery.
Officials say they are monitoring the air quality in the area but no hazardous material has been detected yet.
