Officials say the investigation is now ongoing after 12 people were injured in an apparent gas explosion that rocked an east Ottawa suburb on Monday morning, including two children and two people who were pulled out of the rubble.
The two kids were among six taken to hospital immediately after the explosion at an Orleans housing development, Ottawa Paramedic Services said. Two men suffered serious injuries, but all in hospital were in stable condition, paramedics said. Other injured people were released at the scene.
All people in the neighbourhood have since been accounted for, said Nicholas DeFazio, a public information officer with Ottawa Fire Services B次元官网网址� with a city councillor for the area saying itB次元官网网址檚 a B次元官网网址渕iracleB次元官网网址� more werenB次元官网网址檛 hurt.
DeFazio said Monday afternoon that the cause of the explosion was still under investigation despite firefighters initially saying that a gas leak was the culprit.
The blast occurred at about 6:18 a.m. local time and destroyed four homes that were under construction in a Minto Group development, said Ottawa deputy fire chief David Matschke.
Other houses in the development are already built and occupied, but police would not provide information about whether any residents needed to vacate their homes.
Police and firefighters also would not say whether the injured people included any residents of nearby homes, or whether any of the injured people were construction workers B次元官网网址� though DeFazio confirmed that construction workers were on the scene at the time of the explosion.
Two people were caught under debris. The first was freed after firefighters used a chainsaw to cut through wreckage, with the fire service saying on Twitter that the individual was B次元官网网址渟table and talking.B次元官网网址�
About three hours after the explosion, firefighters said they rescued a second person who was trapped inside a collapsed home and B次元官网网址渟urrounded by a large amount of debris.B次元官网网址�
Ottawa Fire Services said in a tweet late in the afternoon on Monday that it had been B次元官网网址渁 successful double rescue in extreme circumstances.B次元官网网址�
Amy Bond, an inspector with the Ottawa Police Service, said the force was working with OntarioB次元官网网址檚 Ministry of Labour and the Ontario Office of the Fire Marshal, which is now leading the investigation.
B次元官网网址淚tB次元官网网址檚 very early stages,B次元官网网址� Bond said Monday. B次元官网网址淭he scene is quite large.B次元官网网址�
Bond said that police will remain on the scene into the evening and possibly into Tuesday, depending on how the investigation unfolds. Representatives from Enbridge Gas were also on the scene but did not speak to reporters.
Orleans South Coun. Catherine Kitts called the explosion a B次元官网网址渄istressing eventB次元官网网址� for residents and said the Canadian Red Cross and Salvation Army were also providing help.
B次元官网网址淕iven the intensity of the blast, itB次元官网网址檚 a bit of a miracle there werenB次元官网网址檛 more serious injuries,B次元官网网址� Kitts said.
Kitts said the Salvation Army and Canadian Red Cross were set up at the Minto Sales Centre on Monday, down the street from the site of the explosion, to help people who have been displaced.
Debris from the explosion could be found blocks away from the original site. Across the street from the development were broken windows and a dusting of pink insulation that began to blend into melting snowbanks.
Mana Karki, who lives nearby, said she decided to take the day off work because she was B次元官网网址渟till in shock.B次元官网网址� Her garage door was destroyed in the blast, and her stairs were cracked.
B次元官网网址淚t was a big bang. Loud. I was freaking out,B次元官网网址� Karki said.
Another resident, Mayank Sharma, said the explosion jolted him awake. He said he rushed to his children, who were crying about B次元官网网址渢he big bang.B次元官网网址�
B次元官网网址淲e couldnB次元官网网址檛 figure out what the issue was. It was like like a bomb explosion, a plane crashed or someone banged into someoneB次元官网网址檚 house,B次元官网网址� Sharma said. B次元官网网址淲e just couldnB次元官网网址檛 figure out what it was until we started hearing things. And we saw a police car on our street, and I think we heard there was a gas leakage.B次元官网网址�
Rows of police cars, fire trucks and ambulances had stretched across the road in the early morning. By noon, a majority of the emergency personnel had left the scene.
His friend Divya Suri, who also lives nearby, said the explosion left cracks in her homeB次元官网网址檚 ceiling and walls and damaged her garage door. The fire service said the destroyed houses were under construction in the areas of 10th Line Road and Shallow Pond Place.
The homes were under development by Minto Group. The developer says it has a team on the ground to address the needs of the community.
Other model homes are being used as temporary shelter spaces for residents who have been evacuated, said Brent Strachan, the groupB次元官网网址檚 president for Ontario.
B次元官网网址淲e are working with authorities to identify the cause of the explosion and fully co-operating in the investigation,B次元官网网址� Strachan said in a statement Monday. B次元官网网址淲e will share more information as it becomes available. As always, safety is our top priority, and our thoughts are with everyone affected.B次元官网网址�
B次元官网网址� With files from Lee Berthiaume.
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This story was produced with the financial assistance of the Meta and Canadian Press B次元官网网址 Fellowship.
Cindy Tran and Mickey Djuric, The Canadian Press
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