Man’s body found after suburban Chicago home explodes

LAKE ZURICH, Ill. — The body of a 77-year-old man has been found after a house exploded in a Chicago suburb.

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. His identity has not been released.

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 other than 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 state fire brigade is investigating the cause.