One man is dead and five people are missing after an explosion at an Ottawa tank truck manufacturer on Thursday.
Eastway Tank Pump and Meter owner and chairman Neil Greene said on Friday he was “completely devastated”.
“My heart goes out to their families, loved ones and all of our employees who are in shock at this immense loss,” Greene said in a written statement Friday morning.
The explosion occurred around 1:30 p.m. Thursday at the company’s facilities, which are located in an industrial area in southern Ottawa.
Ottawa police confirmed Friday morning that a man taken to hospital in critical condition has died and that four men and a woman who were believed to have been at work during the explosion are still missing.
“We don’t think any survivors will be found,” Ottawa Police Inspector Frank D’Aoust said at a news conference outside the construction site Friday morning.
Two other men were taken to hospital on Thursday, and one of them remains in serious but stable condition. The other got his leave.
“We remain in close contact with investigators and will cooperate with authorities on any ensuing investigations,” Greene said. We want to get to the bottom of what happened. »
D’Aoust said recovery efforts are underway and several investigations are underway, but the site is heavily damaged and investigations will take some time.
Witnesses reported hearing a loud bang and feeling the ground shake before seeing huge plumes of thick black smoke and flames up to 15 meters in the air.
Ottawa City Councilor Tim Tierney was at a nearby city salt depot when it happened.
“I was coming back to my vehicle and I felt like an earthquake, but then I heard a big bang, like it was delayed after the earthquake,” he said during a interview with The Canadian Press.
Tierney said he was told one of the injured had been flown to Toronto for treatment for burns.
“When you see smoke rising that high, clearly you know it’s going to be a devastating outcome,” he said.
The Office of the Fire Marshal is the lead investigator in determining the origin and cause of the explosion and has already dispatched investigators to the scene.
The Arson Unit is conducting the investigation for the Ottawa Police Services and will also be investigating for the Coroner’s Office. The provincial Department of Labor will conduct a parallel workplace survey.