The explosion, involving either natural gas or propane, occurred around 8:15 Friday night. There are no reports of fatalities at this time but unconfirmed reports have three people missing. Steve Raper with Northern Health, which has mobilized resources across the northern region, has this information about the injured:
--18 were taken by ambulance to Burns Lake.
--2 have gone to Vanderhoof.
--4 to Fraser Lake.
--4 to Smithers.
Raper says the range of injuries is quite wide, and some of the victims will be transported to University Hospital of Northern BC once they have been stabilized. University Hospital has been placed on "CODE ORANGE", meaning all services and physicians have been activated to deal with the injured as they come in. Raper says there have been some reports of walk-ins at Lakes District Hospital in Burns Lake, but he has no numbers on that at this time.
Relatives of the blast victims have been told to go to the Margaret Patrick Memorial Hall in Burns Lake to get word on their loved ones. The Steelworkers Union is getting transportation together for those who wish to travel with their injured relatives to hospitals in other communities.
The United Steelworkers Union says up to 25 people would have been working in the sawmill, another 20 in the planer mill, and there would also be maintenance workers on site for a possible 80 people at the operation at the time of the explosion.
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Be well. Practice big medicine.
Hal
Hal Newman
T: 819-704-0662 E: hnewman@tems.ca
Accomplished emergency services coach & guide
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