A powerful explosion leveled a home in Washington Township, New Jersey, early Sunday around 2 a.m., killing a man and a woman, according to local reports.

Neighbors described the blast as sounding like a bomb, with flames engulfing the house and damaging nearby properties.

Firefighters quickly responded and extinguished the blaze, ABC News has reported.

The cause of the explosion is under investigation by local and state authorities.

Written by B.C. Begley