Updated: Aug. 16, 5 p.m.
SOUTH JERSEY (KYW Newsradio) — Pyrotechnic materials were likely the cause of the explosion in Franklin Township, New Jersey earlier this month that left four people dead, officials said.
Authorities in Atlantic County said they discovered hundreds of pounds of explosive materials, which are used to make fireworks, in a car and outbuildings near the deadly scene.
On Aug. 3, two adults and two children, ages 2 and 3, were killed in the explosion and fire at an apartment building in Buena. Two other children, ages 1 and 16, were injured.
Initially, investigators thought the explosion may have been the result of a natural gas leak, but that was ruled out after the discovery of potassium nitrate and a variety of other chemicals and products used to make commercial-grade fireworks.
The two children who died have been identified, but their names are not being released because of their ages. However, the bodies of two men — ages 52 and 73 — remain unidentified, and authorities say further medical records are needed to make those identifications.
Several nearby homes were damaged in the blast, but no other injuries were reported.
It’s unclear who the explosive materials belonged to. The incident remains under investigation.