Explosion Leads to Evacuation at Charles W. Lewis Middle School

A battery explosion in the boiler room at the Charles W. Lewis Middle School caused an evacuation and drew police and firefighters Monday afternoon. However, no injuries were reported.

A maintenance worker from the Gloucester Township School District was performing routine maintenance on a back-up battery for a generator when it exploded at around 1:23 p.m., police said Monday afternoon.

The battery, which is about the size of a normal car battery, was stored in a maintenance area away from students and faculty, who were evacuated.

A Gloucester Township police officer on the scene at the time assisted in the evacuation.

The Blackwood Fire Company and Camden County Haz-Mat unit responded to the scene and assessed the situation.

Once they determined there were no hazards, students and faculty were allowed to return to the school.

The attached image was provided by Gloucester Township Police