'BOOM, BOOM': 1 dead, 1 critical after explosion levels NJ home

SOUTH RIVER, N.J. (1010 WINS/WCBS 880) – An explosion flattened a home in Middlesex County on Thursday evening, killing a man and critically injuring another person, officials said.

The blast in South River around 7 p.m. killed Kevin Gilbert, 62, and critically injured a second unidentified person, according to the Middlesex County Prosecutor's Office.

Neighbors said the home was owned by a retired Newark police officer.

The cause of the explosion isn't yet known, but neighbors described a terrifying experience as the house was leveled in a cul-de-sac on Continental Court.

"All of the sudden boom—I mean boom, boom," one neighbor told CBS New York . "Like the whole house."

A second neighbor said her first thought was an earthquake similar to last month's historic 4.8 magnitude tremor.

"This was so powerful that the house just really shook," she said. "I really thought it was going to be another earthquake."

South River Fire Chief Craig Miller described the damage as immense. "On my arrival, a lot of debris on the roadway, a lot of debris on other lawns," he said.

The blast was so intense that the windows of nearby homes and cars were blown out and "doors were pushed in," according to South River Mayor Peter Guindi.

"It was a horrific sight to see a house completely flat," the mayor said.

Authorities remained at the scene Friday as the investigation into the cause continued.