Investigators are searching for the cause of a fatal explosion that devastated a Mississauga neighbourhood, killing one person, injuring nine others and damaging at least two dozen homes.
The late afternoon explosion, which was felt blocks away and generated a smoke plume that could be seen across the city, levelled a two-storey home and rained debris over several streets. Shocked residents compared the scene to the aftermath of a hurricane as emergency crews went door to door looking for more victims.
Peel Region paramedics said a woman died in the blast. Other patients were treated at the scene for minor injuries. As a precaution, emergency crews established a wide evacuation zone, moving out upward of 100 residents and cutting off utilities to 58 homes. Residents were taken by buses to a nearby community centre to meet with social-service workers.
Mississauga Fire Chief Tim Beckett told a news conference Tuesday evening that it was too early to know what caused the explosion. That investigation will be handled by the Ontario Fire Marshal's Office.
"We have approximately 24 other homes in the area that have damage that ranges from very light damage to extreme damage," Chief Beckett said, explaining crews needed to stabilize the scene before they could begin investigating.
"We have a large debris field in the area … we've totally lost one home so you can just imagine."
Resident John Bostjancic, who lives some four kilometres from the blast, said the force was so intense that it rattled his windows and sent his curtains fluttering.
"You could feel the shock wave. You could feel the air moving," he said.
"The whole building was rumbling," said Nadine Natour, who lives in a nearby apartment complex. "We just sat by the window and watched the debris in the air."
Jackie Hext was out for a walk when she heard the deafening explosion. "I looked up and saw debris in the air. I covered my head and ran." She returned to find at least seven shattered windows in her condo building.
The sound was so loud Jery Blaszczyk thought his own apartment building, a short walk away from the blast, had exploded. The main door of his building was knocked off its hinges. "I walked over to take photos. I thought there should be more flames, but there were none."
Dozens of spectators gathered behind police tape to take in the destruction, which included torn off roofs, twisted garage doors and yards covered with wood beams, tattered furniture and bricks.
Mississauga Mayor Bonnie Crombie, who came to the scene to meet with emergency workers and residents, said it was devastating for the entire community.
"It may have been a blessing that it was 4:23 p.m. and not a little bit later when more people arrived home from work," Ms. Crombie said. "We're hoping and praying at this time that it's limited to the one fatality."
With a report from The Canadian Press