OLD BRIDGE, N.J. ((1010 WINS/WCBS 880) — New Jersey officials are investigating a chemical explosion and fire at a commercial business on Wednesday that killed a 73-year-old woman and left four people with severe injuries.
At about 11:21 a.m., Old Bridge Police responded to a call of a loud explosion across from the Jonas Salk Middle School on West Greystone Road.
Authorities received additional calls of smoke coming from the commercial building across the street from the school, police said.
Emergency personnel were on the scene of a fire on West Greystone Road in Old Bridge on Wednesday afternoon.Alexander Lewis/MyCentralJersey.com / USA TODAY NETWORK
Upon arrival, officials were met with heavy smoke coming from a company named Superior Signal and a working fire with possible entrapment.
The school was initially put into a shelter-in-place as a precaution. All students were released from the school by 1:30 p.m.
The woman killed was an employee of Superior Signal Company, which has three buildings on the property, authorities said.
The four injured worked at the company as well.
A 51-year-old woman suffered burns to her face and hands and a 29-year-old man suffered burns to his hands. They were flown by helicopter to Cooperman Barnabas Medical Center in Livingston.
Two others were transported to area hospitals by ambulances, authorities said.
The cause of the fire and explosion was not immediately known.
The name of the deceased has not been released.
