Service planned after explosion that left 3 missing in St-Roch-de-L'Achigan, Que.
As the community of Saint-Roch-de-l'Achigan continues to grapple with Thursday's explosion and fire at Propane Lafortune that left three people missing, a commemorative service will be held on Sunday.
The special mass will be held at the Church of St. Roch at 10:30 a.m. in solidarity with all those affected by the tragedy.
Community members spoke to CTV News on Saturday about one of the three missing people, Celine Pilon, describing her as a central figure in the community.
She was a caring person who "wore her heart on her sleeve," said neighbour Jonathan Rheaume Larose.
"She was really a good person," he said.
Pilon's cousin, Line Pilon, addressed the tragedy in a Facebook post.
"When a person dies of illness you can prepare, but when it's an accident, a terrible accident, it's a shock," the post reads.
"I know that all who had the privilege of knowing her are grieving today."
The other two victims remain unnamed, however, the Lafortune family said publicly on Friday that all three worked at the company. According to The Canadian Press, two of them were employees while the third was a subcontractor.
Surete du Quebec inspectors have not confirmed the three people's death and said on Friday that snow conditions and the presence of dangerous material have complicated the search.
The municipality is advising residents to avoid the area of the fire that started with an explosion at just after 11 a.m. on Jan. 12.
"In order to allow the Sureté du Québec to do their job properly and not to interfere with the scene, we ask that everyone not travel to the scene of the incident. This request is also a preventive measure to protect the scene and the environment," the municipality said on its Facebook page.
A service will be held on Jan. 15, 2023, in solidarity with the community of Saint-Roch-de-L'Achigan after an explosion in a local business left three people missing. (Luca Caruso-Moro/CTV News)
A local named Éric Lizotte told The Canadian Press that he rushed to the scene following the explosion and tried to save a woman in distress.
He recounted the woman was desperately attempting to push through debris and escape. But as he tried to reach her, a part of the structure collapsed on top of her.
He described the experience as traumatic and plans to consult his doctor next week.
With reporting from CTV News journalist Luca Caruso-Moro and The Canadian Press.
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