SCITUATE, Mass. -- A home on Turner Road was leveled in an instant by a powerful explosion that damaged nearby homes and shattered windows a half-mile away.

Slideshow: NewsCenter 5 & Viewer Photos Of Explosion Video: House Explodes Video: Neighbors' Homes Damaged

A body was found in the ruins of the home, according to Scituate Fire Chief Richard Judge.

“It looked like a tornado,” said NewsCenter 5 photographer Stan Forman, who described rubble hanging from trees along the street. “There is nothing left.”

"All that is left of the house now is the foundation. The house was completely destroyed by the explosion," said Judge.

"It looked like a tornado. There is nothing left." - NewsCenter 5 photographer Stan Forman

The home at 27 Turner Road is owned by Kimberley Chubbock, a nurse who works at South Shore Hospital. She was not home at the time, but Chubbock told NewsCenter 5's Mary Saladna that she was worried about her boyfriend who was living with her.

Four homes in what Judge called "the blast radius" suffered significant damage and are uninhabitable.

"They will not be occupied for quite a while. We have evacuated the street," Judge said.

Neighbors living up to five blocks away said their homes shook from the blast at about 2:45 p.m. Wednesday.

“I was just sitting down with a cup of tea. There was a loud bang and the force brought me forward," said Mara Fidler. “I thought it was a bomb.”

Bay State Gas, which provides service to the area, said it had no crews working in the area at the time; however, neighbors said they smelled gas before the explosion. NewsCenter 5 has learned that Bay State Gas was called to respond to reports of a gas odor in the area at about 1:57 p.m. The company then received word at about 2:35 p.m. that the house exploded.

"What caused the explosion, we don't have any clue yet," Judge said.

One woman who lived across the street was injured and taken to the hospital for treatment.

"Fortunately it was before school was released, there are a lot of children in this neighborhood," Judge said.

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