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Teaneck, N.J. House Explosion Kills 1

Man In His 60s Dies In Blast; Authorities Suspect Gas Leak

TEANECK, N.J. (CBS) ― A three-level house was destroyed in a spectacular explosion just after 6 p.m. on Thursday.

It was a very grim task, even for firefighters specifically trained to search obliterated, pancaked homes for victims as they scoured the wreckage at 1320 Hastings St., near Reis Avenue in Teaneck. 

Confirmed dead in the explosion was Richard Hass, in his mid 60s, who lived alone with his cats.

"He was just a very nice, quirky man who liked to plant in his garden, who just recently took up basketball and riding his bicycle without a helmet," next-door neighbor Banji Ganchrow said.

Ganchrow said Haas moved in several years ago to help his ailing parents and stayed after they died. He did not have a car and rarely went out. She said she noticed a gas smell coming from the house off and on for several weeks -- and she did something about it.

"Today we smelled it again and I called PSE&G and they were here at 2 p.m. They said everything was fine. It must (not) have been (because) at 6 p.m. we heard a boom."

Teaneck Fire Chief Robert Montgomery said the structure never had a chance.

"The house blew up like a deck of cards, collapsed down into a debris pile," Montgomery said. "Stacked to the right was where the basement (had been), straight up was the main part of your fire."

Added neighbor Meryl Arbisfeld: "I heard a very loud bang. My house felt like it lifted and fell."

Arbisfeld assumed her neighbor was inside and ran to the home to try and help. That's when she saw two men she did not know on the sidewalk. An elderly man and his adult son were passing by when they were hit by the explosion's concussion wave that sent debris and glass flying.

"He was injured more than his son. His head was cut open," Arbisfeld said of the elderly bystander. "The son was bleeding and not as profusely and I don't know where it was coming from. The son seemed okay."

"They were ambulatory sitting on the curb so that is a good sign," added Chief Montgomery.

Montgomery said what happened Thursday can be used to teach people what to do the second they suspect a gas leak.

"Exit the building. That's key. Get out of the building. Smell gas, something ain't right call the fire department get out of the building. They'll check it for you," Montgomery said.

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