One man is dead and the search continues for survivors following an explosion that destroyed one house and damaged at least a dozen others in north Scarborough Monday afternoon.

It happened at a home on Brimley Road, south of Steeles Avenue East, shortly before 4:30 p.m. While one house was levelled, at least 12 other neighbouring buildings were also damaged by the blast, Toronto Fire Services said.

Still images and video from the scene showed items of clothing strewn in nearby trees and insulation blanketing homes and yards. What looked to be an election sign could be seen on the roof of a nearby house.

Speaking with CP24, one firefighter described the scene as a ‘warzone.’

“It’s completely demolished,” Toronto Fire Services Division Commander Len Stadler said. “There’s nothing standing.”

“It’s been obliterated, basically,” Toronto police Insp. David Vickers echoed of the home. “There’s all kinds of damage to the surrounding homes.”

One man was found without vital signs and pronounced dead at the scene. He has been identified by police as 57-year-old Paul Zigomanis. Investigators said he is known to police.

One female was treated at the scene for a hand injury, paramedics said.

In total, 17 homes were evacuated due to a natural gas leak. The leak, originating from the house that exploded, has since been capped, Stadler confirmed.

Toronto Transit Commission buses have been brought in to shelter displaced area residents, Vickers said.

“We’re securing the homes and doing the best we can to help with the residents here,” he said.

The cause of the explosion has not been yet been determined. Stadler said it was still far too early to determine if it might be suspicious.

“We haven’t even started to get to that part of it yet,” he said.

The investigation, he said, would be a ‘long, tedious job.’

“We’re going to be going through it slowly and methodically.”

Speaking with CP24 earlier Monday afternoon, one resident in the area at the time of the explosion described hearing a ‘loud boom.’

“It shook the ground – I could feel the vibrations through my body and my car, as I was loading things into my car,” a woman identified only as Czarina said.

“I looked up – I saw all kinds of house debris in the sky, and at that point I knew it was a house explosion,” she said. “It was actually quite scary.”

She said she was roughly a block away from the explosion when it occurred.

“The entire area is cordoned off,” Czarina said. “There’s lots of house debris all over Brimley and surrounding streets. It’s quite a scene."

Brimley Road remains closed in both directions between Port Royal Trail and Steeles Avenue.

Anyone who may have witnessed the explosion or have any information is asked to contact police.