Natural gas suspected in Calgary house explosion

The explosionrocked the Marlborough neighborhood around 8:50 a.m. Monday,and the force of the blast was felt by firefighters at the Forest Heights station, roughly a half-mile away.

Emergency crews arrived atthe scene on Maryvale Way N.E. in minutes, aiding 10 people who were seriously hurt and battling large flames that engulfed the wreckage of thehome. One of the victims was found hanging from a blown-out window.

Ambulances brought the victims, all of whom were adults,to nearby hospitals for treatment. Six suffered injuries that were considered life-threatening. Most of the victims were believed to have been inside the home that exploded.

After extinguishing hotspots in the basement,firefighterswere able to search for any further casualties.

"I'm glad to report that we didn't find any," Dongworth said.

As of Tuesday morning, there's been no update from Alberta Health Services as tothe conditions of the victims.

Alut Majaksaid herex-husbandMuorater But, 65,is one of the victims. She said that he underwent surgery Monday and remains at the hospital.

"I'm going down there to see him today," she said, noting that he is the father of her five children.

Her former spouse lived in the home that exploded, Majak said, although she was unsure how long he'd been stayingthere. Majaksaid that after the explosion,several people reached out to her offering support.

"Pray for him," she said. "We all need prayer."

Rose Kadri, a neighbour who has lived in the area for more than 20 years, said that several people appeared to live in the home, including the owner.

Daniel Keror, a neighbour and longtime friend of the homeowner, said that the owner was hurt in the blast but his injuries didn't require him to remain hospitalized.

He said the homeowner was originally from South Sudan and often let friends and others from the country stay at his home. According to Keror, the homeowner is working to get a cellphone to call family members.

"He doesn't have nothing right now," Keror said.

The explosion severely damaged two homes on either side,lighting them on fire. The damaged homes will need to be assessed before their occupants can return. Authorities are currently assisting those residents with housing.

Remnantsof the destroyed home were flung throughout the neighbourhood, and eight other homes in the area sustained damagefrom debris. This damage, however, was not enoughto force people from their homes.

The force of the explosion left cracks in Kadri's walls. She said she's concerned about her chimney and roof.

"I didn't sleep all night," she said. "I'm going to have a nightmare for the whole week, who knows how long."

The fireball from the blast was captured by surveillance cameras atnearby Marlborough Mall.

The footage, which was shared with CBC News, showed the explosion reaching well above thetreetops, leaving a plume of black smokein the snow-filled air.

VIDEO| Surveillance footage captures home explosion

Security video of Malborough explosion

1 year ago

Duration 0:19

Surveillance video sent to CBC News shows a large fireball from a house explosion that took place Monday morning in Marlborough.

In the aftermath of the blast, Enmax shut off power to the area,affecting hundreds of households. Power has since been restored.

Speaking on the Eyeopener, thefire chief noted that explosions involving natural gas are rare and not something Calgariansneed to worry about.

"We have thousands of homes in the city of Calgary safely using natural gas," Dongworth said.

"This is a very rare occurrence, and obviously something has gone wrong here.There's no question."

He said that if residents smell natural gas in their homes, they should call the fire department immediately to get it checked out.

Coun. Andre Chabot, who represents Ward 10 and is currently in Vancouver, said his heart goes out to the victims and their relatives.

"Whatever the [investigation's] findings are, we have to ensure that we take every measure possible to ensure this doesn't happen again," he said.