On June 28, 2016, a residential house exploded in the Hickory neighbourhood in Mississauga, Ontario, Canada. The explosion prompted mass evacuations of the surrounding area. Approximately 5200 people were displaced. Houses were heavily damaged on Hickory Drive, Capri Townhome complex and the Hickory Village. Debris was violently thrown into the air, hitting and breaking windows of surrounding apartment buildings, also causing slight damage to the Rockwood Mall. At least 1 person was killed, with 13 civilians injured afterwards. Smoke covered the surrounding area after a huge fire erupted on the former house's premises. The police investigation resulted in the findings of the explosion being an apparent double suicide, with a gas stove left on. A siren was heard to be ringing shortly after the explosion, near the intersection of Dixie and Burnhamthorpe Roads. Currently, the houses have been demolished and later rebuilt. Townhouses in the Hickory Village and Hickory Capri complexes were fixed and renovated.
Since then, gas leaks have been frequently reported in the Hickory Village neighbourhood, usually in uninhabited or abandoned homes.
References
25 homes still uninhabitable nearly a year after deadly Mississauga explosion - YouTube House explosion in Mississauga - YouTube Today Marks Five-Year Anniversary of the Hickory Drive Home Explosion – City of Mississauga Strange handwritten notes that describe financial ruin found in Mississauga exploded house debris | National Post Explosion destroys home in Mississauga; 1 person dead, 25 houses damaged - Toronto | Globalnews.ca 'Intentional' Mississauga house explosion ruled a double suicide | CBC News Mississauga house explosion: Blast site released, residents allowed to return home | Globalnews.ca Mississauga neighbourhood littered with debris after house explodes - YouTube Deadly Mississauga home explosion - YouTube