Explosion Hits NJ Naval Base

Eight people were injured, one seriously, in an explosion at a New Jersey naval base today. The blast hit at about 9am during routine boat maintenance at Naval Weapons Station Earle, which provides ammunition and explosives for vessels, the AP reports. Navy officials say no ammo was actually involved in the explosion, which was confined to the boathouse.

Reuters spotted a tweet from the official Navy account indicating all those affected had been taken to the hospital, where one person was hospitalized. Fire trucks, ambulances, and a medical emergency helicopter converged on the base, which sits about 45 miles from New York City and employs around 1,500 people. There's no word yet on what caused the explosion. (More Navy stories.)