Quebec man recounts rescue attempt in propane facility explosion that left workers missing
As a ceiling and wall collapsed on a woman desperately trying to flee the scene of an explosion at a Quebec propane distribution company, Éric Lizotte could only watch in horror.
The resident of St-Roch-de-l'Achigan, Que., whose home is just metres from Propane Lafortune, said he was in the middle of trying to rescue the unknown woman and anyone else trapped by the Thursday morning blast.
Three people remain missing after the explosion which Lizotte said left him shaken and grappling with indelible images, particularly related to his aborted rescue attempt.
"As I tried to remove debris, I felt this intense heat. It was a furnace. It was unbelievable. I put snow on my head to try to offset the heat as I tried to get closer to the lady. I heard explosions going off from every direction," Lizotte said in a Saturday interview from his home about 50 kilometres north of Montreal.
"I got about two feet away from her. At that point, I saw that a portion of the roof was about to collapse. I hesitated to move forward, and then suddenly, it began to collapse, and it took a part of an opposite wall with it, falling completely on top of her. And within seconds, a fire broke out. There was nothing I could do, so I got out and left."
Two employees and a subcontractor are still missing as provincial police continue to investigate the blast with the help of police arson technicians. Hydro-Québec is also assisting in the probe, according to local authorities.
Firefighters work the scene after an explosion at a propane company, Thursday, January 12, 2023 in Saint-Roch-de-L’Achigan, Que. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Ryan Remiorz
Police have said they do not believe the explosion was a criminal act but have not established what caused it.
Lizotte said he was clearing snow from his pickup truck when the blast occurred. He said although he did not hear anything, he saw part of the roof launched into the sky.
"I quickly told my partner to call 911, and I got into my other car, and I rushed to the site. It took me about 45 seconds," he said.
Lizotte immediately noted heavy damage to a nearby garage before turning his attention to the entrance of the company headquarters.
"Everything had collapsed," he said. "(The explosion) had blown (off) parts of the administrative side."
The local fire department received calls Thursday morning about an explosion and fire at Propane Lafortune, but the risk of further explosions forced firefighters to retreat and they only managed to bring the blaze under control in the evening.
During a news conference on Friday, authorities said it could take several days before they complete their work at the levelled building.
Quebec provincial police spokesperson Sgt. Éloïse Cossette described the scene as complicated.
"We will continue to search the scene with our specialists," Cossette said. "We still have three people missing, at least."
Neither police nor Propane Lafortune provided any updates Saturday on the status of the missing workers.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Jan. 14, 2023.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Cuban government apologizes to Montreal-area family after delivering wrong body
Cuba's foreign affairs minister has apologized to a Montreal-area family after they were sent the wrong body following the death of a loved one.
What is changing about Canada's capital gains tax and how does it impact me?
The federal government's proposed change to capital gains taxation is expected to increase taxes on investments and mainly affect wealthy Canadians and businesses. Here's what you need to know about the move.
Quebec nurse had to clean up after husband's death in Montreal hospital
On a night she should have been mourning, a nurse from Quebec's Laurentians region says she was forced to clean up her husband after he died at a hospital in Montreal.
'Anything to win': Trudeau says as Poilievre defends meeting protesters
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is accusing Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre of welcoming 'the support of conspiracy theorists and extremists,' after the Conservative leader was photographed meeting with protesters, which his office has defended.
Fair in Ontario, flurries in Labrador: Weather systems make for an erratic spring
"It's a bit of a complicated pattern; we've got a lot going on," said Jennifer Smith of the Meteorological Service of Canada in an interview with CTVNews.ca on Wednesday. "[As is] typical with weather, all of these things are related."
Police tangle with students in Texas and California as wave of campus protest against Gaza war grows
Police tangled with student demonstrators in Texas and California while new encampments sprouted Wednesday at Harvard and other colleges as school leaders sought ways to defuse a growing wave of pro-Palestinian protests.
Bank of Canada officials split on when to start cutting interest rates
Members of the Bank of Canada's governing council were split on how long the central bank should wait before it starts cutting interest rates when they met earlier this month.
Northern Ont. lawyer who abandoned clients in child protection cases disbarred
A North Bay, Ont., lawyer who abandoned 15 clients – many of them child protection cases – has lost his licence to practise law.
'My stomach dropped': Winnipeg man speaks out after being criminally harassed following single online date
A Winnipeg man said a single date gone wrong led to years of criminal harassment, false arrests, stress and depression.