House explosion in Kitchener, Ontario. sent four people, including two children, to the hospital Wednesday night.
Waterloo Regional Police said emergency services responded to reports of a house explosion around 11:40 p.m. in the area of Elm Ridge Drive and Queen’s Boulevard.
Crews were called to the home around 11.40pm on Wednesday. (CTV Kitchener)
Police said the explosion occurred at a residence in the area and caused extensive damage. Adjacent blocks also suffered significant structural damage and had to be evacuated.
It is unclear at this stage how many people have been displaced.
Police said the two children were taken to a local hospital with minor injuries, while a man and woman were transported to an out-of-region hospital with serious injuries.
Investigators were spotted at the home around noon Thursday. (Terry Kelly/CTV Kitchener)
A Grand River Transit bus was brought in to provide shelter to people displaced by the explosion.
The Red Cross has also been contacted and is providing support, police said.
Police said a man and a woman were transported to an out-of-region hospital with serious injuries. (CTV Kitchener)
NEIGHBORS RUN TO HELP
Neighbors who live just a few meters from where the explosion took place rushed to help the people trapped inside.
“My neighbor right across the street from me, her son had actually gone into the building. It’s pretty traumatic for him to go in, but he was able to get a young man out of the building,” said Ken Shevcik, who lives about 100 yards down the street.
“He tried to go upstairs, from what he told me. The smoke was so bad. You can hear another female voice yelling from upstairs to come out. He couldn’t get on, so he had to go back.
Szewczyk said another neighbor ran to the firehouse at the end of Elm Ridge Drive to notify crews of the emergency.
Emergency crews remained at the scene Thursday morning. (CTV Kitchener)
INVESTIGATION CONTINUES
Waterloo Regional Police said their General Investigations Unit and the Ontario Fire Marshal are investigating.
At the moment, the cause of the explosion has not been established.
Anyone with additional information about the incident is asked to contact police at 519-570-9777 or Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477.
The remains of the house can be seen scattered around the yard. (Terry Kelly/CTV Kitchener)
Add Comment