Authorities identify 77-year-old man killed in house explosion in Chicago suburb

LAKE ZURICH, Illinois — Authorities have released the name of a 77-year-old man found dead Tuesday after a home exploded in a Chicago suburb.

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

According to the Lake County Sheriff’s Office, rescue workers found the flattened house in Lake Zurich around 8:30 p.m. Tuesday. The man’s body was later recovered from the rubble.

According to authorities, Toczylowski was identified through his dental records.

Tiffany Koch told WLS-TV that she heard the explosion, ran outside and saw the nearby house burning.

“There was this loud bang. I don’t even know how to describe it,” Koch said. “It sounded like a tree had fallen, but there was no real shaking, except for that brief second.”

Two other homes were damaged, and a utility crew had to clear gas lines to shut off natural gas to the property, allowing firefighters to put out the flames, authorities said.

The coroner’s office said on Friday that the cause of the explosion was still being investigated.