Arson Unit leading investigation into blast at construction site
An explosion at a construction site in the Ottawa neighbourhood of Orleans last week is now a criminal investigation.
The Ottawa Police Service issued a press release announcing the force’s Arson Unit has taken the lead.
“On February 18, the Arson Unit took over as the lead agency for this investigation as the circumstances surrounding the explosion were deemed criminal.”
In an email to Canadian Occupational Safety Const. Mike Cudrasov says “due to the ongoing nature of the investigation we cannot comment further but will release details in the coming weeks. The investigation will continue with the support of Ontario Fire Marshall, the TSSA, and Minto.”
12 people, including four workers, were injured and four homes that were still under construction were destroyed when a massive explosion rocked the entire neighbourhood early in the morning on Monday February 13th.
This was given to me by Tyler he lives in the area #Ottawa @ctvottawa pic.twitter.com/NKuLAWnvJ6
— Sandeep Saini (@journeyvialens) February 13, 2023
MINTO COMMUNITIES INC. was identified as the constructor on the project, while Ontario’s Ministry of Labour also identified a secondary employer involved as Potvin Construction Ltd.
The company confirmed the explosion was triggered by a gas leak, but exactly what led up to the incident remains a mystery.
Residents reported being woken up out of bed shortly after 6am, with some saying it sounded like an earthquake. Everyone within a 300-metre radius was told to leave their homes.
The Office of the Fire Marshall conducted an aerial assessment using drones to collect footage before excavating the scene.
The Technical Standards and Safety Authority (TSSA) sent a fuels safety investigator and an inspector to the scene at the time to establish if there were any non-compliance issues with fuel safety regulations.
Canadian Occupational Safety will continue to follow this investigation and bring you updates as they become available.
