A family-run cocoa butter processing plant in Logan Township, New Jersey, was torn apart by an explosion on Wednesday afternoon, March 4, 2026, leaving four people critically injured and shaking homes for miles around.
The blast struck Savita Naturals just after 2:30 p.m. The plant’s chief work is turning out cocoa butter, but it also makes CBD oil and seed oils, and it extracts oils using liquid propane and ethanol, both of which are highly flammable, according to officials and people close to the business.
Among the critically injured was the company’s owner, Richard Trout. His son Kevin said his father was badly burned over more than 56% of his body and suffered a broken arm, and remains in a medically induced coma at the Temple burn unit. The family expects him to recover. Three other employees were also hospitalized in critical condition.
The force of the explosion reached well beyond the site. More than 7,000 people who live within a few miles heard or felt the blast, and the shaking was felt across the river, in Delaware County, Pennsylvania, roughly 15 miles away. A shelter-in-place order covering a two-mile radius was lifted around 5 p.m. as firefighters worked through the afternoon to douse the flames.
Logan Township Police Chief Joseph Flatley called it the largest industrial accident he can recall in 25 years with the department. All employees at the facility were accounted for, and a county spokesperson confirmed no one was missing.
Authorities said the federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives is taking over the investigation, and they do not believe the incident was criminal. Fire and hazmat crews remained on site afterward to monitor the burnoff of remaining fuel, and air quality is being watched.
New Jersey Governor Mikie Sherrill said her office is actively supporting resource coordination and will monitor the situation to ensure residents stay safe. Nearby buildings, including a church-run food pantry, sustained damage, and workers in the surrounding community have turned their attention to the well-being of the injured.
Sources
- Logan Township, NJ explosion injures business owner, other workers at Savita Naturals – 6abc Philadelphia
- 4 critically injured in explosion at NJ cocoa butter processing facility
