Two killed in Quebec fireworks plant explosion
- Published
Two people have been found dead after an explosion destroyed a Quebec fireworks plant, Canadian police say.
A massive blast rocked BEM Fireworks in Coteau-du-Lac shortly before 09:00 EST (13:00 GMT) and was followed by a fire and further explosions.
Images from the scene showed a plume of black smoke and exploding fireworks that could be seen from miles away.
Police evacuated about 40 homes in the town and temporarily closed a nearby highway in both directions.
One building at the plant was reduced to rubble.
'Lifted into the air'
Police have not identified the two people found in the wreckage but earlier said two of the factory's employees were unaccounted for.
Witnesses said the initial explosion rattled the entire area, about 50km (31 miles) west of Montreal.
"We got really, really, really scared," Ginette Liboiron, who runs a convenience store near the site, told the Associated Press.
"I thought my store was falling to the ground. It shook like you can't imagine. We all went outside to see and saw the big, incredible smoke. It went high up in the air, then it became black, black, black."
Another witness, Olivier Roy, told the Montreal Gazette he saw a smaller building at the plant "lifted into the air".
Fireworks could be heard detonating within the fire for at least two hours after the initial explosion. More than 150 firefighters battled the blaze on Thursday morning.
Quebec's police force said only that the investigation was "ongoing".
Environmental officials said low traces of metal were detected in the air nearby.