Mississauga, Ontario – An explosion leveled one home and damaged at least two dozen others Tuesday afternoon in a town west of Toronto, killing one person, authorities said.
One woman died at the scene of the blast in Mississauga, Ontario, and about a dozen other people were treated for minor injuries, a Peel paramedic spokesman said. He said none of the injured had to be taken to a hospital.
Photos of the scene show heavy damage to nearby homes and debris spread over a wide area.
Police set up a large perimeter around the destroyed home and went door-to-door evacuating nearby residences.
Mississauga Mayor Bonnie Crombie said between 50 and 100 people had to be evacuated and a reception center was being set up at a nearby recreation center.
She said they would have to remain out of their homes for an “undetermined amount of time.”
“I’m praying to God tonight that everyone was safely at work when this occurred but we don’t have any information just yet,” she said.
Mississauga Fire Chief Tim Beckett told a news conference Tuesday evening that it was too early to know what caused the blast.
“We have approximately 24 other homes in the area that have damage that ranges from very light damage to extreme damage,” Beckett said.
He said crews were working to stabilize the scene before they could begin their investigation.
As reported by Vos Iz Neias