At approximately 8:20 PM on Sunday February 27, 2022, a home was destroyed by a massive explosion that was heard throughout Nanaimo. The home which was reduced to rubble, was located in the 300 block of Pine St.
Police and Fire were on scene within minutes. Upon arrival, attending officers detected a strong odor natural gas coming from the debris. The explosion knocked down a nearby power line and interrupted phone service for approximately 20 minutes to the local RCMP detachment.
No one was located in the debris field. A neighbouring home sustained significant damage from the blast, and two of its occupants were taken to the Nanaimo hospital for treatment after being struck by shards of broken glass.
Investigators believed the home was vacant at the time of the explosion and that the last tenants had been evicted at the end of January.
Emergency crews, which included Police, Fire, EHS, BC Hydro and Fortis were on scene for most of the evening. The debris field was secured for the remainder of the evening to await investigators who will re-examine the scene in the morning in an attempt to determine what caused the explosion.
At this time, in consultation with partnering agencies, the investigation has been turned over to the Nanaimo RCMP to determine if foul play was involved in the explosion, said Constable Gary O’Brien of the Nanaimo RCMP.
If anyone has information on the incident, please call the Nanaimo RCMP non-emergency line at 250-754-2345, and quote file # 2022-6847.
