MANVILLE, N.J. (WCBS 880) – A New Jersey banquet hall exploded early Friday, and firefighters struggled to get to it because of storm-fueled floodwaters.
A large explosion rocked the Saffron banquet hall on South Main Street in Manville around 2 a.m.
The banquet hall was still surrounded by floodwaters from the swollen Millstone River around 7 a.m., images from Chopper 880 show.
The explosion essentially leveled the large structure, which continued to burn at daybreak. Fire could be seen shooting out of an exposed gas main in the middle of the rubble.
No injuries have been reported.
Floodwaters complicated firefighters’ efforts to reach the out-of-control fire.
Pockets of fire in smaller buildings were also seen on the opposite side of the Millstone River, which is well over its banks in Manville and neighboring Bound Brook.
It was a very similar situation to what happened after Hurricane Floyd in 1999, when crews were unable to reach burning buildings surrounded by water.
Weston Canal Road and many other local streets in the area were shut down Friday morning.
New Jersey was hard-hit when the remnants of Ida slammed the New York region overnight Wednesday, leading to catastrophic flooding and at least 25 deaths in the Garden State. At least six people in the state were still missing Friday, according to Gov. Phil Murphy.
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