Dozens of residents gathered on Yellowknife’s 54 Street in the middle of the night after a large apparent explosion left a debris field strewn across the road.
Residents from Con Road to School Draw Avenue – spanning half the city – reported hearing the sound of something detonating.
Police had cordoned off the scene by 2:30am on Canada Day.
An ambulance left the location, near the intersection of 54 Street and 52 Avenue, bound for Stanton Territorial Hospital.
Three people described to Cabin Radio seeing one person lying injured following a blast that two people said involved – or at least damaged beyond recognition – a boat parked on a driveway in front of a set of garages.
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Wreckage from the explosion could be seen hanging from nearby trees. Across the street, one resident pointed to a boat fender lying on their driveway – about 70 feet from the apparent epicentre – as evidence of how forceful the blast had been.
“You can see it on the roof of the house over there,” they added, gesturing toward more debris.
Another resident, who said they were among the first at the scene after hearing the explosion from a deck 100 yards away, said: “The shockwave completely knocked the wind and wits out of me.”
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The resident said one man affected by the explosion could not get up without assistance and was dragged clear of the scene. They described a smell of propane in the air at the time.
Parts of a boat were visible among other wrecked items on the street. The exact nature of what took place was not immediately confirmed by the authorities, who have been approached for comment.
By 3am, fire crews had left the scene in the care of municipal enforcement officers and public works staff. The road for a short section of 54 Street remained blocked off.
