What to Know
- The person injured in a New Jersey home explosion that obliterated the structure has died, police say.
- The home somehow exploded in Ridgefield Monday morning, generating a plume of smoke visible from Manhattan as firefighters battled a fire
- Authorities said Mark Schellack was lone person inside the home, and was rescued by an off-duty police officer who happened to be nearby
The person injured in a New Jersey home explosion that obliterated the structure has died, police said Tuesday.
The home of Mark Schellack somehow exploded in Ridgefield Monday morning, generating a plume of smoke visible from Manhattan as firefighters battled a raging blaze on the ground.
Authorities said Schellack, 48, was the only person inside the home and was buried underneath debris in the rear basement area. He was rescued by an off-duty police officer who happened to be nearby, who dug through the debris along with the help of other officers.
Schellack was rushed to Hackensack University Medical Center with bad burns to his body, and was later airlifted to Saint Barnabas Medical Center for further treatment. Schellack died from his injuries early Tuesday morning.
Firefighters were called to the scene of the blast on Abbott Avenue around 11:30 a.m. Monday. Neighbors reported hearing a boom shortly before the fire broke out, but it wasn't clear what caused the explosion.
Police said it appears natural gas could have been the source, but an investigation is ongoing.
