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Toronto, Canada - Evacuations after Explosions and Fire at a Propane Depot |
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Photo Credit: RENE JOHNSTON/TORONTO STAR - Multiple explosions woke residents near a propane depot in Toronto's Wilson Ave. and Keele St. area in the early morning of Sunday, August 10, 2008.
Several explosions rocked the Sunrise Propane facility in the Wilson Ave. and Keele St. area, early this morning. There have been reports of injuries.
Officials have ordered an evacuation of a 1.6-kilometre radius around the scene. The perimeter extends to Finch Ave. W. to the north, Lawrence Ave. W. to the south. (south of Hwy. 401), Jane St. to the west, and Bathurst St. to the east.
“We are…continuing with a large-scale evacuation of the area,” said an official.
The TTC has provided buses to the area to take residents to the Yorkdale shopping centre. Several houses have reportedly collapsed in the area.
“It was just a tremendous explosion and blew all the windows out of the house, just blew the house up, and I just managed to get out of there in time,” Robert Helman said, who was covered in cuts and bruises.
As he ran out of his house, a “wave of a heat” followed him.
Eugene Koutcher, who lives about a kilometre south of the area, said the explosions woke him up to “a huge orange fire” early today.
“I was just asleep and it was a huge explosion and I thought it was thunderstorm,” he said. “It was absolutely a huge explosion, actually a number of explosions.”
An emergency worker with Bombardier, which has a facility in the area, said he saw houses on fire. The worker, who did not want to be identified, also said he saw propane tanks dropping from the sky.
The worker said they were warned there could be more explosions until the remaining propane in the tanks is burned.
Many from the Jewish community who live within 1 mile ratio of the tanks, woke up to the noise of explosions, as one eyewitness told VIN News, "it woke me up around 4 AM and heard large explosions that continued for about 40 minutes, "I went to my window I saw this huge fireball, at first I taught that we are being bombed, it took 40 minutes for emergency personal to pinpoint where the explosions came from.
VIN News was told that they have been asked to stay indoors until the fire is fully contained.
Youtube from an amateur taking video as it happened
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Read Comments (5) — Post Yours »
1
Aug 10, 2008 at 02:40 PM Toronto Yid Says:
I woke up to the news scary!!
i thought we were at war or Moshiach was here...
2
Aug 10, 2008 at 03:25 PM raizel Says:
there was a huge bang at 3:50 am that woke me up and there was successive bangs after that till about 4:30. first it sounded like thunder as it has been raining all shabbos but it was clear in the sky. i got into the car to see what it was b/c i could see fire from my house and i thought a house was burning down im the close vicinity. it was yetzias mitzrayim as tons of people came out of there houses in cars and by foot in pjs and dressed to see this huge fireball which turned out to be this explosion about 1.5 major intersections from my house. at that time they were closing the allen expressway which is 2 blocks from where i live. the flames and smoke were enormous and it sure felt like yemei hamaschiach were approaching... B"H i dont know of any frum jews who live in the close vicinity of the fire- as my area i think is the closest frum community but apparently there maybe some frei ones there and apparently a small jewish cemetery there too.
3
Aug 10, 2008 at 04:22 PM Anonymous Says:
One fire fighter just died.
4
Aug 10, 2008 at 05:58 PM Yosef Says:
I live in Toronto.
I don't know about the reaction that "Moshiach is coming etc" - this is not exactly how I picture Bias Moshiach. But it was definitely very scary. Very appropriate incident for Tisha BeAv.
5
Aug 10, 2008 at 10:45 PM Anonymous Says:
just to clear things up- the WEST border of evacuation was dufferin, not Bathurst. that makes a huge difference, since the vast majority of frum yidden live near Bathurst. However many, many people were evacuated, but they have been allowed back home and the highway was reopened. B"H that this didin't happen on a weekday!