Authorities reported two deaths and one injury following a powerful explosion early Sunday morning that demolished a house and caused damage to adjacent homes in a Baltimore suburb.

Emergency services were called to the scene of the blast at approximately 6:42 a.m. ET on Arthurs Woods Drive in Bel Air, Harford County, roughly 30 miles northeast of Baltimore.

The Maryland State Fire Marshal's Office identified the victims of the explosion on Monday afternoon as 35-year-old Jose Rodriguez-Alvarado, a contractor for Baltimore Gas and Electric (BGE), and 73-year-old Ray Corkran Jr., the owner of the destroyed residence.

The body of Rodriguez-Alvarado was found amidst the widespread debris field of the blast and pronounced dead shortly after firefighters arrived on the scene Sunday morning, according to the Maryland State Fire Marshal's Office.

Search and rescue teams located the body of Corkran Sunday afternoon. It was buried under the rubble of his home, according to the fire marshal's office.

"Using heavy equipment, investigators found the victim amidst the wreckage," the fire marshal's office reported regarding Corkran.

Investigators stated that Corkran was the sole resident of the house at the time of the explosion.

A female neighbor residing next to the home was also hurt and treated at the scene, according to Master Deputy Fire Marshal Oliver Alkire.

At least 12 families have been displaced by the blast, according to officials, who mentioned the total number of damaged structures is still being determined.

"While they continue gathering information about the exact extent of the damage, the cost is anticipated to be in the millions," according to the sheriff's office.

An image posted on X by Harford County Fire and Emergency Medical Services depicted firefighters battling a small fire and searching through the remnants of the home, which was reduced to fragmented pieces of wood, insulation and other debris.

"In my 18 years on the job, this is one of the biggest explosions I've witnessed," Alkire stated during a press briefing.

Alkire mentioned that firefighters from the Harford County Fire Department were dispatched to a report of a gas leak in the vicinity when the detonation occurred.

Alkire indicated that at least two BGE contractors had been sent to the area prior to the blast to examine an electrical problem. He said the workers were aware of reports of a gas odor in the area when the explosion happened.

Alkire confirmed that the residence was on the market. Officials characterized the house as a "complete loss."

The origin of the explosion remained under examination Monday by the Maryland State Fire Marshal's Office, the Harford County Sheriff's Department and the federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. There is no indication of criminal involvement in the explosion and investigators are concentrating on accidental causes, according to the Fire Marshal's Office.

"Investigators will now focus on reviewing the evidence and data they gathered yesterday. This includes physical items such as gas and electrical piping, interviews, video surveillance, and data from BGE," the state fire marshal stated in a press release Monday morning.

The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB), responsible for probing pipeline incidents during the transportation of natural gas or hazardous liquids, declared on Monday that it had initiated an investigation into the house explosion. An NTSB team has arrived in Bel Air and is slated to spend a week "cataloging the site and conducting an initial visual inspection of the pipeline and associated equipment," the agency stated.

"NTSB investigations cover three core areas: human factors, the pipeline system, and the operational environment," the board stated.

Locals in the neighborhood reported hearing the resounding blast and experiencing tremors in their homes, authorities mentioned.

Jefferey Beyers, who lives near the home that was destroyed by the blast, told
that he and his wife were awakened by a "deafening explosion coupled with the kind of feeling of an earthquake." Beyers pointed out windows in his house that he said were blown out from the frames.

"I deem it crucial to unravel the truth of this incident, to comprehend what transpired to prevent a recurrence," Beyers remarked.

Another neighbor, Marshall Garrett, told
that he immediately rushed to the scene, beating the fire engines there. He described the scene as complete devastation and said it looked like something out of a movie.

"Initially, we only saw the debris," Garrett stated. "Then we began to notice the flames shooting out and the smoke rising into the air."

' Davone Morales, Perry Russom and Tia Humphries contributed to this report.