Explosion, Fire Kills Two, Injures 22 at Canada Sawmill

April 24, 2012
Firefighters in Prince George, British Columbia responded to the call at Lakeland Mills around 9:45 p.m. after a blast that shook nearby homes ignited a blaze that tore through the business

Two people were killed and 22 others were injured following an explosion and fire at a sawmill in Prince George, British Columbia on Monday night.

Firefighters responded to the call at Lakeland Mills around 9:45 p.m. after a blast that shook nearby homes ignited a blaze that tore through the business, according to CBC News.

Flames reportedly shot more than 200 feet in the air at one point.

Officials told the news station on Tuesday that while the fire has been controlled, it won't be fully extinguished for another 24 to 48 hours.

All of the 50 employees who were working at the sawmill when the incident occurred have been accounted for. One of the workers succumbed from injuries around 5:30 a.m. Tuesday morning. Another worker was declared dead later that night.

The two dozen other workers who suffered injuries were transported to University Hospital of Northern British Columbnia in Prince George.

Three were transferred by air ambulance to a hospital in Vancouver while another worker in critical condition was transferred to a hospital in Edmonton.

Six others remained hospitalized in serious condition at the hospital in Prince George on Tuesday morning.

"There were certainly some patients with some very severe burns, and we had to evacuate those to the waiting ambulances some distance away," Fire Chief John Lane told the news station.

The cause of the fire is not known at this time.

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