One man died and another person suffered critical injuries after an explosion at a suburban New Jersey house flattened the residence, according to officials.
It wasn't clear what led up to the explosion at the home located on Continental Court, a quiet cul-de-sac lined with spacious houses in the Middlesex County town of South River. The county prosecutor's office said authorities rushed to the scene just after 7 p.m. Thursday, finding two males who had suffered serious injuries.
Photos of the aftermath showed the home almost entirely blown away, with shards of wood and small clumps of pink fiberglass insulation strewn about the street, dotting the manicured front lawns of neighboring houses. The largest piece remaining was a section of the roof with dormered windows from the second-floor.
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Photos also showed flames and smoke shooting up at the rear of where the house formerly stood, bordering on a small thicket of woods.
"All the windows around were blown out...garage doors pushed in," said South River Mayor Peter Guindi.
The mayor initially said two males had died in the explosion, but the county prosecutor's office later clarified one man had died and another victim was taken to Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital for treatment after suffering critical injuries.
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The man who died at the scene was identified as 62-year-old Kevin Gilbert.
Those who live nearby said the house was owned by a retired police officer who lived there with his wife, who they said was unharmed. Neighbors and family were seen running toward the house after the explosion in hopes of saving loved ones.
Given the recent seismic activity in the area recently, it's no surprise neighbors told NBC New York they thought it was an earthquake.
"It was just a really, really loud bang, super loud and shook the whole house. The whole house shook," said a neighbor.
An investigation into the cause of the explosion was ongoing. Anyone with information regarding the incident was asked to call South River Police or the Middlesex County Prosecutor's Office.
This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.
