CALGARY- A huge blast in northwest Calgary frightened people around the city on Monday afternoon—but it turns out there was nothing to be concerned about.
A permitted blast was being done at a Lafarge gravel pit near the community of Royal Oak just before 2 p.m., and could be felt in surrounding communities. That prompted panicked calls to the Calgary Fire Department. Crews rushed to the scene, but were soon cancelled.
According to the Deputy Chief of the Calgary Fire Department, there was no need for concern.
Laura Cates was nearby when she heard the explosion.
“We are about eight kilometres north of the plant. I was standing in my kitchen when the house was shaken by a huge pressure wave. The windows shook and things in my house rattled. It felt like the windows we’re going to break.”
The Lafarge crews were breaking up large rocks, and a spokesperson for the company said a unique combination of cold and a lack of wind caused the explosion to go higher in the sky than usual.
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