A retired Newark police officer was found dead following a Thursday night home explosion that’s under investigation.
The body of Kevin Gilbert was discovered in a pile of debris after a South River, N.J., house blew up around 7 p.m., according to the South River Fire Department. Local media identified Gilbert as a 26-year veteran officer who left the force in 2016.
Firefighters said they arrived to find a bi-level “wood frame structure completely leveled by an explosion with the structure still on fire” and quickly extinguished the flames.
A second victim in the home was reportedly rushed to an area hospital with burns to 90% of his body, according to ABC News. He’s in critical condition. Pix 11 identified that victim as the 62-year-old ex-cop’s son.
A neighbor told that outlet they heard a “sonic boom” while watching television and rushed outside to see a home in their cul-de-sac completely destroyed.
“Everything shook,” that neighbor said. “My sister was screaming and everyone was just scared.”
Officials reportedly suspect a gas leak caused the explosion. First responders turned off the gas line servicing the decimated property.
South River police encouraged motorists and pedestrians to stay clear of the area after Thursday’s explosion. Photos posted online show a wide field of debris scattered across neighboring suburban lawns. Town officials couldn’t immediately be reached for further information.
Thursday’s blast was the second deadly explosion Middlesex County experienced in as many days. A 73-year-old South River woman was killed and several others were injured by an explosion at a commercial building Wednesday, according to the Bergen Record. That incident is also under investigation.
