2 dead after house burns down in New Jersey following 'gigantic explosion,' criminal investigation underway
A criminal investigation is underway in New Jersey following the deaths of a man and woman whose home burst into flames after neighbors reported hearing a "gigantic explosion."
Officers responded to reports of a loud explosion and fire just after 2 a.m. Sunday in Sewell, New Jersey, according to Fox 29 Philadelphia.
"We heard this gigantic explosion. It was so big, I felt like it rocked my whole house," resident Suzanne Pinto told the outlet, adding that she felt her whole house shake and rushed outside to find the neighboring home consumed in a massive fireball.
The exact cause of the fire remains unclear. The Gloucester County Prosecutor's Office said the case is being handled as a criminal investigation and that an autopsy will be conducted on both victims to gather more information, the local station reported. There were no other reports of injuries.
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Neither the prosecutor's office nor the Washington Township Police Department immediately responded to requests for comment from Fox News Digital.
Fox29 reported that the home was completely destroyed in the blaze, and nearby houses also sustained damage.
Another resident, Jill Ralph, told the station she grabbed her husband and 92-year-old mother and drove away as fast as she could from the apparent explosion.
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"Looked out the bedroom window, and the house next door was just full of flames," Ralph said. "It's a shock. It's a shock. Who would have thought? You know, looking next door and there's a house that was there, and now it's gone. And the person in it is gone, too. And it's devastating."
Pinto said while she tried to check on her nearby neighbors to see if they were okay, she could tell that the residents inside the burning home couldn’t be saved, according to the outlet.
"We knew the house was in such a condition, no one could be rescued from that fire," Pinto said.
"Just very tragic, very tragic," Pinto added. "I see the guy every day. He has a dog. He walks up and down the street all day."