New Jersey house explosion leaves 3 dead, 1 missing, 2 children injured

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In this image taken by video from WPVI, fire crews try to extinguish an fire at a home Thursday, Aug. 3, 2023, in Buena, southern N.J. An explosion has destroyed the house and left two people dead and two children seriously injured. Authorities are still searching for two other people they believe were inside. (WPVI-TV via AP)

BUENA, N.J. – An explosion destroyed a New Jersey house, killing three people, seriously injuring two children and leaving another person missing.

The cause of Thursday morning's explosion in Buena, about 40 miles (70 kilometers) southeast of Philadelphia, is being investigated. It damaged several nearby homes, but no other injuries were reported.

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Two men, ages 52 and 73, and four children — a 2-year-old boy and three girls ages 1, 3 and 16 — were likely in the home at the time.

Two bodies were found Thursday in the rubble, and a third was found Friday, but authorities have not been able to determine their age or sex. The year-old infant and the 16-year-old girl were flown to a hospital in Philadelphia, where the infant was in critical condition and the teen was stable.

Authorities have not released the victims' names or said whether they are related.


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