LAKE ZURICH, Ill. — Authorities have released the name of a 77-year-old man found dead Tuesday after a house exploded in a Chicago suburb.
The Lake County Coroner’s Office identified the man Friday evening as Timothy Toczylowski. Authorities said he was a resident of the home.
First responders found the home in Lake Zurich after the explosion Tuesday around 8:30 p.m., according to the Lake County Sheriff’s Office. The man’s body was later recovered from the rubble.
Authorities said Toczylowski was identified through dental records.
Tiffany Koch told WLS-TV that she heard the explosion, ran outside and saw the nearby house burning.
“There was a loud bang. I don’t even know how to describe it,” Koch said. “It sounded like a tree falling, but there was no real vibration except for that quick second.”
Two other houses were damaged. A utility crew had to dig up gas lines to shut off the natural gas supply to the property. This allowed firefighters to extinguish the flames, authorities said.
The coroner’s office said Friday that the cause of the explosion remains under investigation.