Sunday, February 11, 2018

Mississauga business explosion injures five

Images tweeted by Peel paramedics show heavy smoke billowing from the area with debris scattered along Hurontario Street

Five people — including a child — were assessed for injuries and dozens have been displaced after a commercial business exploded, rocking the streets of Mississauga Sunday morning.

Emergency crews rushed to a strip plaza in the Dundas St. West and Hurontario St. area just before 7:30 a.m. after receiving a call for the explosion that happened right next to Thomas L. Kennedy Secondary School.
Mississauga’s fire chief Tim Beckett told media on scene that half the plaza had collapsed and there was structural damage to apartment buildings nearby.

Beckett said five victims were inside the building, two who immediately exited with minor injuries and three who moved themselves to the roof where fire services rescued them. A male rescued from the roof was transported to the hospital in serious, but non-life threatening condition and now remains in stable condition. Two females also located on the roof of the plaza have minor injuries.
Images tweeted by Peel paramedics show heavy smoke billowing from the area with debris scattered along Hurontario Street. The impact of the explosion also left some of the windows of businesses located across the plaza shattered.
Police said 50 to 70 people were impacted by the explosion. Buses were relocating residents living in the immediate area, Beckett said. Mississauga Valley Community Centre is providing shelter for the displaced individuals and social service officials are on scene.

Shawna Baker, a Mississauga resident, said she felt the “rumble on her feet” while getting coffee at a nearby Tim Horton’s.

“I live a five-minute walk from the explosion. My husband and kids woke up from the sound while at home. There are a lot of windows of businesses and apartments that are blown out.”

Baker said her mom works as a cleaner at the plaza and was glad to hear that she wasn’t working that morning.

About four hours after the explosion, Peel fire services remained at the scene battling a fire with a hose aimed primarily at the north-end of the plaza where a roof was seen collapsed.

Peel police have shut down Hurontario St. from Dundas St. to Hillcrest Ave. in both directions.

Investigators are asking the community to avoid the area and close their windows due to the heavy smoke in the area.

The cause of the explosion is unknown.

Please share this

No comments:

Post a Comment