Police Release 911 Recordings of Fatal Ewing Explosion [AUDIO/VIDEO]

Ewing Police have released recordings of 911 calls that were received following an explosion that leveled at least 20 homes, killing one woman and injuring seven utility workers last week, 6 ABC reported Monday evening.

Aerial view of firefighters at the scene of a Ewing home explosion (CBS Philly)

In the recordings, the callers -- some of whom were in the immediate area when the explosion happened -- sound frantic as they watch flames and black smoke rise from the townhouse complex.

"I'm in front of South Fork on Scenic Drive and a house just literally blew up," one female 911 caller said.

The blast, which killed resident Linda Cerritelli, 62, occurred when Henkels & McCoy, a subcontractor for PSE&G, was doing electrical repair work at the South Fork Development on Crockett Lane. It is believed that a gas line was damaged, sparking the explosion.

(David Matthau, Townsquare Media NJ)
Mike Gaffney of PSE&G speaks during a press conference about the explosion in Ewing on March 4 that destroyed 20 townhouses, killing one woman and injuring seven utility workers.

During a news conference at Ewing Police Headquarters following the explosion, Mike Gaffney, the director of gas distribution for PSE&G, said what happened is an incredible tragedy, but he insisted that the contractor was qualified and has a good history.

Last week, Ewing Police Lt. Ron Lunetta said the Mercer County Prosecutor’s Office is looking into what happened.

Authorities, Lunetta said, are trying to determine “who did what, when they did it, when notifications were made, and obviously when the prosecutor’s office and our detectives get involved with that we’re looking to see if there’s any criminal charges there. It’s never ruled out till the conclusion of the investigation. Wherever it leads us, it leads us.”

Filed Under: Ewing explosion, NJ, PSE&G

Categories: New Jersey News