Retired cop dead after explosion blows NJ house to bits

🔥 The explosion shook the Heritage Hills neighborhood in South River

🔥 The neighborhood was evacuated

🔥 One man was killed and another was seriously injured

SOUTH RIVER — One man died following an explosion that flattened a house and shook a neighborhood Thursday evening.

The house in a cul-de-sac on Continental Court in South River blew up just after 7 p.m. according to Middlesex County Prosecutor Yolanda Ciccone. The explosion obliterated the house and sent debris flying through the neighborhood.

Mayor Peter Guindi told New Jersey 101.5 that windows in houses and cars around the neighborhood were blown out by the force of the explosion.

The entire neighborhood was evacuated. The gas and power lines serving the area were shut off.

The explosion could be felt for several blocks, residents told CBS New York.

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Retired Newark police officer killed in explosion

Kevin Gilbert, 62, of South River, was pronounced dead at the scene. A second male was taken to Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital for treatment of serious injuries.  Gilbert is a former Newark police officer who retired in 2016 after a 26-year career.

"Officer Gilbert served in various Newark Police Division units, ranging from the 4th Precinct Detective Bureau to the Robbery Unit and the Safe City Task Force," Newark Public Safety Director Fritz G. Fragé said in a statement offering prayers of peace and comfort to Gilbert's loved ones.

Newark police detective Jeff Weber, president of FOP Lodge 12 told New Jersey 101.5 that Gilbert was a "true gentleman" with many family members and friends on the force.

"I had the honor of working with Kevin and getting to know him towards the tail end of his career. Kevin made it extremely easy to gravitate towards him. He would talk endlessly about his family, his favorite sports teams and his aspirations once retired," Weber said. "My heart and prayers go out to his entire family, his friends and his Newark police department family as well."

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Explosive week in Middlesex County

It was the second fatal explosion in Middlesex County in two days.

An explosion at Superior Signal in Old Bridge killed Eileen Marco, 73, of South River. The Middlesex County Prosecutor's Office told New Jersey 101.5 that one of four people taken to Cooperman Barnabas Medical Center in Livingston for treatment of burns has been released.

The causes of both explosions remain under investigation.

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