Nanaimo explosion levels home, sends 2 to hospital
CTV
Two people were taken to hospital in Nanaimo, B.C., after an explosion destroyed a vacant home and scattered debris over a wide area near the city's downtown core.
Police say the blast happened Sunday at about 8:20 p.m., near the intersection of Pine Street and Fitzwilliam Street. Investigators believe the explosion was caused by a natural gas leak.
"I just heard the loudest crash," resident Todd Cameron told CTV News. "It sounded like either a tree hit the house or the roof caved in."
The blast "levelled the house" and caused damage to a neighbouring home, where two people suffered injuries from flying debris and "shards of glass," according to Nanaimo RCMP spokesperson Const. Gary O'Brien.
Four other patients were treated at the scene for minor injuries, according to B.C. Emergency Health Services.
Emergency crews remained on scene in overnight Sunday and into Monday morning. (CTV News)
"It just basically rocked the whole city," Cameron added. "It was just unbelievable how loud it was here even two blocks away."
Police say the home was vacant as the previous tenants were evicted about a month ago.
The force of the explosion disrupted phone service to the Nanaimo RCMP detachment for about 20 minutes, according to O'Brien.
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