An explosion last night at the Lakeland Mills site in Prince George has killed one employee and hospitalized a further 24 workers, according to media reports.
Owner Sinclar Group Forest Products Ltd. confirmed the disaster this morning.
“We’re devastated by the news of this incident and our thoughts are with our employees and their families,” Sinclar president Greg Stewart said in a statement.
Sinclar confirmed that the explosion occurred on the mill site at approximately 9:45 p.m. April 23, resulting in a fire that completely destroyed the sawmill. The company stated that details on damage to the rest of the Lakeland Mills site, which also includes a planer mill, aren’t yet available.
CBC reports this morning state that officials with Northern Health have confirmed one person has died as a result of their injuries. The person's identity has not yet been released.
The Sinclar Group said that 24 people were working at the sawmill at the time of the explosion, as well as a further 16 at the planer mill and four employees working in the yard.
The company confirmed that 25 employees were taken to the University Hospital of Northern B.C. (UHNBC). As of 5:45 this morning, 14 employees remained at UHNBC while four more had been airlifted to hospitals in Vancouver and Edmonton.
“We will not speculate on the cause of the incident at Lakeland Mills until the proper authorities have completed their investigation,” Stewart said. “All of our attention right now is focused on ensuring our employees and their families receive the care they need.”
On January 20, an explosion and fire at Babine Forest Products in Burns Lake levelled the mill, killing two local residents and injuring 19 others.
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