Four workers were taken to hospital on Thursday morning after an explosion at an industrial complex in Mississauga.
The explosion rocked a plaza at 2575 Dundas Street West, near Winston Churchill Boulevard, shortly before 7 a.m.
According to Peel police, five employees with a roofing company had just arrived for work when the blast occurred.
As they opened the door to a red container holding their equipment, a quick blast of bright flames knocked the workers off their feet.
Four of the five workers suffered varying injuries. Three people were taken to hospital in serious condition. One person suffered only minor injuries.
“Those injuries consist of mainly burns,” Const. Harinder Sohi said.
Witnesses told CTV News Toronto that the people hurt in the explosion were up and walking around before being taken to hospital. None of the injuries are believed to be life-threatening.
In security video from a car dealership next door, one of the workers can be seen walking toward the red container just before the explosion. The force of the blast causes them to fall to the ground. Shortly after, someone can be seen running next door for help.
Paolo Glorioso, who manages the car dealership, said he called 911.
“Flames came shooting out of it,” he said.
“I was here parking my vehicle when it happened, so I felt the explosion. You could actually feel it. It actually moved our bay doors.”
Glorioso said the explosion was loud but fast, and caused smoke to billow across the lot.
“There was a person on fire. The clothes blew off them,” he said.
“He managed to remove what I believe was his pants and threw them over the fence.”
Had the doors of the red container been closed, Glorioso believes the ordeal would’ve played out much differently.
“The container, the doors were open. Flames came shooting out of it and the whole thing buckled,” he said. “Good thing it did because if it was actually closed up, it would’ve been a lot worse.”
Peel police said officers are working in conjunction with the Ministry of Labour and Mississauga Fire Services on the investigation.
Initially police suspected it to be a propane explosion, but that remains unclear.
“Our understanding is that when they opened the door to the container, the explosion happened,” Sohi said.
“We did have some witnesses. There were other people around this morning. We have taken statements from them.”
Police say there is no threat to public safety resulting from the incident.
