1 Dead, 1 Seriously Injured in ‘Horrific’ New Jersey Home Explosion

"Houses and cars around had windows blown out. Garage doors were pushed in," South River Mayor Peter Guindi described the scene

One man was killed and another was injured in a house explosion in South River, New Jersey, according to multiple outlets.

The explosion leveled the home in the Continental Court area on Thursday, May 2, just after 7 p.m. local time without warning, the Middlesex County Prosecutor’s Office told News 12 New Jersey, NBC New York and PIX11 News.

Kevin Gilbert, 62, was killed in the explosion while another man, who was not identified, was seriously injured and taken to a nearby hospital, per the outlets.

The Middlesex County Prosecutor’s Office did not immediately respond to PEOPLE’s request for comment.

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A photo of the aftermath of the explosion showed pieces of the house scattered across a lawn with smoke billowing out from the debris. Only pieces of the two-story home’s roof and its windows could be made out in the rubble.

"It was a horrific scene," South River Mayor Peter Guindi told My Central Jersey. "Houses and cars around had windows blown out. Garage doors were pushed in. We didn't know if there was anybody in the house. All the houses were evacuated as soon as we got here."

He told PIX11 that crews were working to turn off a gas leak in the area, though no cause for the explosion has been confirmed.

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Neighbors in the area told NBC New York that the home belonged to a retired police officer who lived there with his wife, They said she had not been injured in the home explosion. Neighbors told NBC New York that they initially believed there was an earthquake.

"It was just a really, really loud bang, super loud and shook the whole house," a neighbor said.

“We were watching TV, and we heard a massive explosion and ran outside to see it was our neighbor’s house and their family,” another neighbor told PIX11 News. “The house was flattened, and my husband ran down and tried yelling to see if anyone responded.”

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“It was like a big sonic boom," the neighbor added. “It was something I had never heard before. Everything shook. My sister was screaming, and everyone was just scared.”

Officials told News 12 New Jersey and My Central Jersey that nearby neighbors had been evacuated from the area as a precaution. Police also advised motorists and pedestrians to avoid the area so that emergency crews would be able to access the scene.

The cause of the explosion is under investigation by the Middlesex County Prosecutor’s Office and South River Police.

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