Advertisement

3 men injured and arrested following apartment explosion

Three men were arrested after an explosion and subsequent fire in an apartment building on Saint-Laurent Boulevard in Montreal's Villeray–Saint-Michel–Parc-Extension borough Saturday, Feb. 18, 2017. Courtesy TVA

Montreal police confirmed three men were arrested Saturday after an explosion and subsequent fire in a third-floor unit of a triplex on Saint-Laurent Boulevard, near Villeray Street.

Firefighters were called to the scene of the blast in Montreal’s Villeray-Saint-Michel-Parc-Extension borought at 12:50 p.m. ET.

When they arrived, there were two injured men standing outside the building.

Story continues below advertisement

According to Martin Vaillancourt, chief of operations with the Montreal fire department, one of the men had burns on his hands, while the other had burns to his face.

Get the day's top news, political, economic, and current affairs headlines, delivered to your inbox once a day.

Get daily National news

Get the day's top news, political, economic, and current affairs headlines, delivered to your inbox once a day.
By providing your email address, you have read and agree to Global News' Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy.

Both men were taken to hospital for treatment.

Montreal police spokesperson Daniel Lacoursière confirmed that a third man was also injured and taken to hospital to be treated for facial burns.

Vaillancourt said the explosion was likely linked to the transformation of narcotics.

“They were using butane to transform drugs and one of them lit a cigarette,” he said.

All three men aged 47, 51 and 59, were arrested and released on a promise to appear in court at a later date.

It is not yet known what charges might be laid against the trio.

Sponsored content

AdChoices