An Iron Range home destroyed in an explosion this week was believed to be unoccupied, but authorities now say a man's body has been discovered in the rubble.

The St. Louis County Sheriff's office says crews using heavy equipment to excavate the site south of Eveleth found the body of an unidentified man, Northland's NewsCenter reports.

The explosion occurred in the same area where searchers have been looking for a missing vulnerable adult. The sheriff's office asked for the public's help Tuesday in locating 26-year-old Christopher Anglin, who was last seen a few hours before the explosion was reported.

Authorities say Anglin is on the autism spectrum and lives with his father.

The Duluth News Tribune reports identification of the body found in the explosion's wreckage is awaiting an autopsy and authorities do not know if it is Anglin.

The owner of the home on Highway 53 told WDIO he was working in the Twin Cities when the explosion was reported early Monday.

The passerby who called the St. Louis County Sheriff's office at about 1 a.m. told the station the debris littering the highway and stuck in nearby trees made it look as if a tornado had touched down.

In its statement on Monday, the sheriff's office had said the home was unoccupied.