According to firefighters, two people were treated for burns and lacerations following an explosion at the Marine Building in downtown Vancouver on Friday evening.
Assistant Chief Dan Nichols of the Vancouver Fire Rescue Services told CTV News that crews arrived at the intersection of Burrard and Hastings streets shortly after 6 p.m. and saw a “ball of flame” ascending the building’s side.
A video posted to Twitter appears to show thick black smoke and flames emanating from the historic building, which was once the tallest structure in Vancouver.
Huge explosion outside the Marine Building on Burrard. #Vancouver #explosion pic.twitter.com/z8QVWV7iNt
— Scott Lockyer (@slockyer_) February 25, 2023
Nichols says that crews were able to put out the fire and keep the building’s inside safe.According to him, it appears that only a few people were inside during the explosion.
Nichols told CTV News that the cause of the incident was still under investigation, but it appeared the fire was electrical in nature. As of 17:30, crews were awaiting assistance from BC Hydro.
Chief of VFRS Karen Fry said on Twitter that the fire was in an underground electrical vault.
Not long after the explosion, TransLink tweeted that Waterfront Station was closed because of a “police incident.”In a statement, the transit authority confirmed that police had asked for the road to be closed because of something that happened near Burrard and Hastings streets.
According to TransLink, between the Granville and Stadium-Chinatown stations, a shuttle train is operating. Passengers must change trains at Stadium-Chinatown Station to continue their journeys.
Trains on the Canada Line, which stopped at the Olympic Village Station, were also affected. Shuttle trains ran between the Olympic Village Station and the Vancouver City Centre Station.
TransLink says that all SeaBus trips were cancelled and that a bus bridge was used instead.
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