West Milford Police said they began receiving multiple 911 calls reporting an explosion in the Banker Road area of Upper Greenwood Lake around 9:15 p.m.
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West Milford Fire Department, First Aid Squad, and Atlantic ALS responded and began rescuing people from the rubble. Firefighters from as far away as Paterson and Newark responded to the scene.
In addition to the five people taken to the hospital, a sixth victim refused further medical attention.
The house at 53 Banker Road was a one-story ranch house that had been sold just last month. Officials believe parts of the house may have been under construction.
The house was located in the Upper Greenwood Lake neighborhood of West Milford.
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Residents say it felt like an earthquake, and that their entire neighborhood shook when the house exploded.
West Milford is located about 33 miles (53 kilometers) north of Morristown, New Jersey, and 48 miles (77 kilometers) northwest of New York City.
What caused the explosion is still under investigation by West Milford detectives and the fire marshal's offices from the town and state, police said.
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