Authorities identify 77-year-old man killed in suburban Chicago home explosion

LAKE ZURICH, Ill. (AP) — Authorities released the name of a 77-year-old man who was found dead after a house exploded in suburban Chicago on Tuesday.

The Lake County Coroner’s Office identified the man as Timothy Toczylowski on Friday evening. He was a resident of the home, authorities said.

First responders found the home leveled after the explosion about 8:30 p.m. Tuesday in Lake Zurich, according to the Lake County sheriff’s office. The man’s body later was 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 this loud boom. I don’t even know how to describe it,” Koch said. “It sounded like a tree fell, but there was no real shaking except for just that quick second.”

Two other homes were damaged. A utility company crew had to dig up gas lines to shut off natural gas to the property. That allowed firefighters to put out the flames, authorities said.

The coroner’s office said Friday the cause of the explosion remains under investigation.