A sudden and massive rock slide in Utah has flattened a home and killed the two people inside.

Boulders came crashing down around 5 p.m. Thursday in the town of Rockville, about three hours outside of Provo.

"[It] sounded like an earthquake, a lot of vibration," said Springdale and Zion Canyon Police Chief Kurt Wright. "Just a freak accident that you don't have time to escape."

First responders described the dust cloud created by the slide as being so big that it stopped traffic on a nearby highway. The limited number of firefighters allowed into the area after the slide found the two bodies inside the home.

Police also evacuated neighboring homes, allowing the deceased's neighbors to return to their homes only this morning.

"It's been very emotional for the whole canyon," Wright said. "It's been tough to see the people show up and crumble into tears."

Authorities do not know what caused the rock slide, saying only that they are common this time of year due to snow and freezing temperatures.

The two people who died have not yet been identified, pending notification of family members.

Authorities plan to work today to remove the boulders from the site and recover the bodies.