2 Killed, 12 Families Displaced After House Explodes in Maryland: ‘I Thought It Was a Bomb’

The victims were a 35-year-old utility worker and a 73-year-old resident believed to be the homeowner

Tragedy struck a Maryland neighborhood when a house explosion resulted in two deaths, multiple injuries and damages to nearby homes.

On Sunday, Aug. 11, at 6:42 a.m. local time, the Harford County Fire Department and EMS were dispatched to investigate an apparent house gas leak in Bel Air. As firefighters arrived, Harford County 911 said it began receiving calls that the same house had exploded, according to a release from the Maryland Office of the State Fire Marshal (OSFM).

After assessing the home explosion and the damage the blaze caused to surrounding properties, officials “received reports that a fatality had occurred,” which was discovered to be a 35-year-old contractor for Baltimore Gas & Electric. Later, a second victim was found and is believed to be the 73-year-old owner of the home that exploded, the release said.

A neighbor and a utility worker called to the scene were also injured, per OSFM’s Oliver Alkire during a press conference shortly after the incident.

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The Harford County Fire Department and OSFM did not immediately respond to PEOPLE’s request for comment.

Lisa Czawlytko and her daughter were near the house when it exploded, NBC News reported. “We’re in a top floor of a condo building with no elevator, so the whole building was shaking,” Czawlytko told NBC affiliate WBAL of Baltimore. “I thought it was a bomb,” her daughter added.

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In an update Sunday evening, OSFM said that once information and data is evaluated, the investigation will continue Monday to determine if further investigation is warranted, and the local medical examiner's office will confirm the identities of the victims during that time.

Twelve families have been displaced due to the explosion. Officials directed “those who sustained damage or any other pertinent information to file an online request for service,” the release said.

Fire officials who are assessing the damages said “the cost is expected to be in the millions.”

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