Home explosion in West Milford, New Jersey, leaves 5 hospitalized

Five people were taken to hospitals after an explosion at a New Jersey home prompted a flurry of 911 calls on Friday night, police said.

Around 9 p.m., reports came in to authorities about an explosion in West Milford, about 44 miles northwest of Newark. West Milford Police said in a release it responded and found a house "heavily damaged from an explosion."

Users on social media also posted hearing and feeling an explosion.

Police said five victims were flown by medevac to area hospitals, while one person refused medical attention. The victims were taken to Morristown Medical Center, St. Joseph’s University Medical Center, Cooperman Barnabas Medical Center and Hackensack University Medical Center.

West Milford Deputy Fire Chief Rich Poplaski stated the structure collapsed "from an unknown cause."

He asked residents "to please avoid the area to avoid interruption of the incident operations."

The investigation is being conducted by the West Milford Detective Bureau, township fire marshal, and New Jersey's fire marshal's office.

Contributing: Associated Press