Ottawa police believe east end explosion was criminal in nature

The explosion in Ottawa's east end that levelled several buildings and forced dozens of people from their homes is now a criminal case, Ottawa police say.

The explosion on Feb. 13 destroyed several homes under construction on Blossom Pass Terrace in Orléans. Homes within several hundred metres were evacuated and many nearby were damaged. Twelve people were injured, including children. Two people were pulled from the rubble at the scene. 

Police said Wednesday that the arson unit has taken over the investigation.

"On Feb. 18, the Arson Unit took over as the lead agency for this investigation as the circumstances surrounding the explosion were deemed criminal," police said in a news release.

"Due to the ongoing nature of the investigation we cannot comment further but will release details in the coming weeks. The investigation will continue with the support of Ontario Fire Marshal, the Technical Standards and Safety Authority (TSSA), and Minto," a police spokesperson told CTV News.

The cause of the blast has yet to be determined though the president of Minto, the company building the homes, told CTV News it may be linked to natural gas.

In a statement, Minto president Brent Strachan said the company is fully supporting police in their investigation.

"The authorities have turned the site back over to Minto Communities which has allowed us to begin the clean-up and commence the assessment of the homes under construction at the time of the explosion. We hope to resume construction as soon as possible and remain focused on safety as our top priority," Strachan said.

The explosion woke up residents early in the morning Feb. 13. Videos showed a large blast just before 6:20 a.m. Windows near the blast zone were shattered and debris was spread over a wide radius. Residents several hundred metres away felt the ground rumble and the blast registered as seismic event in Carleton Place, Ont., about 70 km away. 

Families near the area were forced out of their homes for several days. Those who were allowed to return found damage both outside and inside their houses. Other residents still can't come back, as their houses are missing exterior walls, their garage doors are crumpled and lying on the ground, and many of the windows are shattered and blown out.

Anyone with information about this incident is asked to contact the Ottawa Police Criminal Investigations Unit at 613-236-1222 ext. 5625.