Edison, New Jersey natural gas explosion

About

The Texas Eastern Transmission Corporation Natural Gas Pipeline Explosion and Fire occurred in Edison, New Jersey, on March 23, 1994, where a 36-inch (910 mm) diameter natural gas pipeline broke and exploded into flames next to the Durham Woods apartment complex along New Durham Road at its junction with Interstate 287. The cause of this breakage was given by the NTSB as mechanical damage caused by a backhoe that gouged out 1/4” of steel off the pipe. This was the result of an insurance situation where the owner of a personal vehicle buried their truck to receive insurance monies. This was done on a property adjacent to the complex. The resulting fire destroyed or severely damaged 14 of the apartment buildings. Over 1,500 apartment residents were evacuated, 125 resident apartments, 9 complete buildings, were destroyed and their occupants were left homeless. Miraculously, no one died as a direct result of the explosion.

One death occurred from a heart attack suffered by Sandra Snyder, who was unable to summon emergency workers amid the chaos. Sandra and her husband did not live in the complex. He was not able to reach 911 because there were 40,000 calls to 911 in the first few minutes of the explosion. Sandra had just gotten home from the hospital for a heart situation.