Seven people were sent to hospital after an explosion at a construction site in Toronto Tuesday morning, police say.
Fire crews responded to a call around 9:15 a.m. about a gas explosion at a building under construction near Esther Shiner Boulevard and Provost Drive, Toronto Fire Division Commander Paul O’Brien said at a news conference.
But upon arrival, crews did not find a fire and instead found several patients with signs of burns, O’Brien said.
O’Brien said the incident took place in the boiler room in the attic of the building. He said it’s unclear how many workers were on the floor at the time.
Workers inside the building were immediately evacuated, Toronto police said.
Paramedics took seven workers to hospital, three with minor injuries and four with life-threatening injuries, Toronto Paramedic Services Chief Bikram Chawla said.
Chawla said he could not give more details about the types of injuries the patients suffered due to privacy concerns.
Construction workers gathered outside the building after the incident. O’Brien said he was unsure when workers would be able to return indoors due to an ongoing investigation.
Type of explosion not common, says Toronto Fire
Luke Pravica, a construction worker at the site, said he had heard there was a possible gas leak and explosion that burned some people.
He said the incident is “certainly concerning” and he hopes his colleagues have a speedy recovery.
O’Brien said gas explosions like this are rare in Toronto, but did not explain what type of gas may have caused the explosion.
In a statement, Centerville Construction Corp. said the incident is being investigated and will share more information when it becomes available.
“Our hearts go out to the construction workers who have been sent to hospital,” Peter Udzenija of Centreville said in an email to CBC Toronto.
O’Brien said an investigation is underway and the Ministry of Labor has been notified of the incident.
In an emailed statement, a ministry spokesperson said an inspector had been assigned to investigate the explosion.
The spokesperson said no further details would be provided while the investigation is ongoing.
