Canmore house explosion likely caused by gas leak

A gas leak is likely responsible for anexplosion that shook the Alberta mountain town of Canmore, blowing up an unoccupied home, scattering debris on the streets and leaving as many as 40people with minor injuries.

• 'Huge explosion, pretty much a mushroom cloud,' blows up Canmore, Alta., home

A man running an excavator ata construction site on13thStreethit a gas line on Friday afternoon.After receiving an emergency call, thegas company sent crews to evacuate homes andturn off the gas.

"During that time we feel enough gas had migrated into the home to cause an explosion," said Brian Cox, a director with ATCOGas.

"Part of the investigation by the fire marshal, the fire department and ATCO Gasis to try to determine what ignited the gas when it went into the home, what route it followed to get into the home."

A large boom and a plume of smoke startled residentsthroughout the town at about 5 p.m.

'Crazy what happened,' says mayor

"It's a miracle that no one died," said Canmore MayorJohn Borrowman after walking down the street, which is closed to the public.

"It was shrapnel spreadall around the neighbourhood and vehicles parked in front of the house are destroyed.I mean destroyed. Anybody that had been caught in the full force of that impact I don't think anybody could have survived."

About 430 homes and businesses inCanmoreare without gasand people living in 18 homes near the blast siteremain evacuated from theirhomes, some of which are badly damaged.

"It's crazy what happened inside of some of the homes," the mayor said.

Cleanup has begun on the street and an engineering firm is checking nearby homes to make sure they are safe.

'Do you smell gas?'

One woman who was picking up her grandchildren on the streetsaid she smelled gas about a half an hour beforeshe heard the thunderousexplosion.

"We went to all get in the vehicle and you could smell gas. And we said to the neighbour lady who was doing her lawn, do you smell gas?"said TheresaBiggy.

The explosion reduced one home to a pile of rubble and badly damaged others.Now Biggy's family can't return to their house on 13th Street.

"We can only see pictures, we can't get to it, but the windows and the doors are out," saidBiggy.

The explosion shook up residents of theBow River Seniors'Lodgeat Fairholme Drive and 13th Street. The seniors were in the dining hall when the blast happened, which was fortunate because windows were shattered in some of the rooms, said spokesmanIanWilson.

Three people went to hospital with minor injuries, including a senior from the home.RCMPestimate about 40 people had minor scrapes and cuts from flying glass and debris.

Fire officials, RCMP and Alberta's Occupational Health and Safety department are investigating.