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8 injured in explosion at N.J. Naval base

Crews respond to the Naval Weapons Station Earle in Colts Neck Township, Monmouth County, N.J. on Aug. 20, 2013. (photo courtesy of News Breaker)
Crews respond to the Naval Weapons Station Earle in Colts Neck Township, Monmouth County, N.J. on Aug. 20, 2013. (photo courtesy of News Breaker)Read more

An explosion occurred at Earle Naval Weapons Station in Leonardo, Monmouth County, N.J. this morning, with eight people injured.

One person was hospitalized with serious injuries in the 9 a.m. explosion inside a boat house, the U.S. Navy said in a statement. Seven others suffered minor injuries. All were taken to local hospitals.

The Navy said the incident happened while personnel at the weapons stations were doing routine maintenance on a utility boat.

The damage was contained to the boat house area; ammunition and weapons operations were not affected, authorities said.

Officials are still trying to determine what caused the explosion.

An initial police scanner report said emergency services from Monmouth County were called to the station's waterfront complex for an explosion with multiple victims. Area roads were shut as a precaution.

Earle Naval Weapons Station features an almost three-mile-long pier that just into Sandy Hook Bay for the transfer of ammunition.

Check back for details as they develop.