WHITEHORSE — An explosion that demolished a home in Whitehorse has killed one person and seriously injured another.Â
The City of Whitehorse said in a statement on Tuesday that when fire crews arrived at the Riverdale subdivision at about 5:30 a.m., they found one home destroyed and adjacent homes with extensive damage.
The statement says one person died as a result of the explosion and another transported to hospital with critical injuries.
Bits of the home were blasted across a large area, insulation hung from nearby trees, shards of timber covered the site and home furnishings, including a mattress, were recognizable among the rubble.Â
A cause of the explosion has not been announced and RCMP say an investigation is underway.Â
ATCO Electric, which supplies power across Yukon, said electricity was cut to homes along several streets in the subdivision.Â
RCMP say more information will be released when it is available and witnesses are urged to contact the Whitehorse detachment with details.
The city said fire personnel and heavy equipment would be in the area over the coming days as investigators comb through debris and determine the cause.Â
The blast occurred as a snowstorm swept across parts of the territory and Environment Canada said temperatures, with the wind chill, would feel close to -11 C.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 14, 2023.
The Canadian Press
