Truck explosion in Langley felt like an earthquake, eyewitness says

RCMP are investigating after an explosion rocked a shopping centre parking lot in Langley that one eyewitness says felt like an earthquake.

Corp. Craig van Herk said police were called to the Willoughby Town Centre area just after 9:50 a.m. on Wednesday for several reports of a loud explosion.

"We responded and did find obviously a vehicle,'significantly damaged,' I guess would be the understatement," van Herk said.

"But the investigation has led us to believe that it wasn't suspicious and was associated with a welding truck that was a part of the construction site there."

It's not clear at this time exactly what caused the truck to explode.

WATCH | RCMP investigate wreckage of truck nearly obliterated in explosion:

Truck explodes in Langley mall parking lot

1 year ago

Duration 1:03

RCMP say they were called to Willoughby Town Centre after a welding truck associated with a construction site exploded. Emergency crews cared for one patient on the scene.

B.C. Emergency Health Services confirmed that they were called to the area and treated one patient at the scene but couldn't provide further details about the nature of the injury.

Van Herk described the area as commercial and residential, with a significant amount of construction going on in the area.

CBC News has contacted the Township of Langley Fire Department for more information on the incident.

Witness says it felt like an earthquake

Madalene Morton, an employee at Epiphany Neighbourhood Art Studios in the Willoughby Town Centre mall, saidat first she thought someone had driven into the building because the sound was so loud, then she thought it might have been an earthquake.

Morton saidthe explosion was a shock for customers and employees.

"When it happened, everything basically stopped for a good 15 to 20 minutes because everybody was leaving all of the buildings,'" Morton said.

She said firefighters arrived and poured water on the fire.

"There was a building near where the explosion was, and it was all blackened with soot. And the actual truck that exploded was in a whole bunch of pieces and steaming,"she said.