Two dead in a strong blast in Canada

Two people died and 19 were injured late on Thursday upon a violent explosion that led to a fire in a health products plant in Sherbrooke, Quebec, Canada. The explosion occurred at a Neptune Technologies & Bioresources facility. Two of the burned were airlifted and two others rushed by ambulance to a specialized unit at a Montreal hospital, Canadian CTV news reported. Around 50 firefighters spent hours to contain the flames and access the facility. Residents of the area said the explosion was very loud and flames could be seen from blocks away. Video footage of the explosion shows the building’s wall severely affected and covered in black. The fire struck the plant’s 15,000 litres of acetone reserves, causing concern about toxicity as the substance can cause irritation if ingested. CTV News however said tests showed the smoke did not contain toxic chemicals. The cause of the explosion is yet unknown.