At least 1 dead, 1 injured after house explosion in New Jersey
SOUTH RIVER, N.J. -- A house explosion in New Jersey left at least one person dead and another injured Thursday evening.
It happened just after 7 p.m. at a home on Continental Court in South River, Middlesex County.
Officials said when emergency responders arrived on the scene, they found two victims suffering from serious injuries.
The Middlesex County prosecutor's office said 62-year-old Kevin Gilbert succumbed to his injuries and was pronounced dead at the scene. Another victim was taken to Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital for treatment.
CBS New York was initially told two people had been killed.
The cause of the explosion is unknown at this time.
Chopper 2 over scene of deadly house explosion in New Jersey
Video from over the scene showed the house had been leveled with debris blown in all directions. Pieces of the house could also be seen in the backyards of neighboring homes. It's not clear if any of those neighboring homes were damaged.
South River Mayor Peter Guindi told CBS New York all gas lines in the neighborhood were shut down and neighbors were evacuated.
A digging crew was brought in to get debris from the explosion out of the way to access the gas lines. PSE&G New Jersey said it was on the scene investigating and working with local authorities.
There were several road closures in the area surrounding the home.
Neighbors thought New Jersey house explosion was another earthquake
The blast was so powerful that neighbors could feel it from blocks away. They said it shook items inside their homes and rattled windows. Some thought it was another earthquake.
"It was a horrific sight, to see a house completely flat. All the houses around, the neighbors with blown out windows, cars, garage doors were pushed in," Guindi said.
"This was so powerful that it just, the house really shook. I really thought it was gonna be another earthquake," one neighbor said.
"All of a sudden, boom. I mean, boom, boom. Like, the whole house, we thought something fell on the house. We really did," another neighbor said.
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