2003 Etobicoke gas explosion
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 | |
| Date | Thursday, April 24, 2003 |
|---|---|
| Time | 1:30pm |
| Location | Toronto, Ontario, Canada |
| Casualties | |
| Fatalities: 7 | |
| Injured: 4 | |
The 2003 Etobicoke gas explosion was a disaster which occurred on April 24, 2003, after a backhoe operated by Enbridge contractor Precision Utility breached a pipeline on Bloor Street in the Etobicoke district of Toronto, Ontario. The resulting explosion destroyed a two-story mixed commercial and residential building, killing seven people and injuring another four. Enbridge and several other companies were fined for the disaster in 2011.[1] A memorial garden was dedicated at the site of the explosion in 2008.[2]
On April 24, 2003, road work was being conducted to fix flooding concerns.[3] Enbridge contracted Precision Utility to locate natural gas pipelines along Bloor Street, west of Kipling Avenue. A pipeline leading into a plaza was not identified and an employee struck the pipeline with a backhoe,[1] causing natural gas to leak into the basement of a two-story strip mall with businesses and residential housing.[4] The workers immediately noticed the error and went to their vehicles to obtain tools to fix the leak.[3]
Explosion
At around 1:30 pm,[2] the gas leaking out from the pipeline ignited, destroying the strip mall and damaging nearby buildings.[3] The explosion also caused a fire which damaged an adjacent house. One hundred people and 25 fire trucks worked to extinguish the fire. Windows in stores across the street were blown out, windshields were damaged on cars and one vehicle was destroyed.[3]
Seven people were killed in the explosion. Robert Fairley was a resident of the building while Adele Brown, Elizabeth Roy and Lillian Guglietti were clients at a salon in the strip mall. Dora Carambelas, Tina Kirkimtzis, and Irene Miyama were also in the building when it exploded.[2] Four people were also injured by falling debris.[3]
After Hurricane Hazel, this explosion was the second-highest loss of life for a single event in Etobicoke. This is also the highest loss of life for an incident involving a pipeline in Canadian history.[5]