Fifty-eight residents displaced by an explosion that rocked a commercial plaza in Mississauga, Ont., are being allowed to return home on Friday.
“Residents that we’ve had in shelters are returning as of 1 p.m. today,” Mississauga fire chief Tim Beckett told reporters during a press conference Friday morning.
“They’ll be working with our staff, the staff of office of emergency management, Peel police and Enbridge Gas, to get them fired back up with their heat and get them back into their units.”
Police and fire crews were called to the strip plaza near the area of Dundas and Hurontario streets at 7:30 a.m. on Sunday after reports of a fire and explosion.
READ MORE: Dozens of residents displaced after explosion in Mississauga
One man was transported to hospital with serious but non-life-threatening injuries and a woman and child both sustained minor injuries.
Authorities said all three were living in a unit above the storefront where the explosion took place. Two others living in units located further down were not injured.
WATCH: Family inside Mississauga building at time of explosion shares story
“I’ve talked to three of those people and they are doing well,” Beckett said. “The five will not be returning from a residential point of view and of course the businesses will not be returning there.”
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Officials said the north end of the commercial complex collapsed and the blast caused damage to nearby apartments and businesses.
Following the explosion, more than 50 residents living in the building across the street of the explosion were told to leave as a precaution.
READ MORE: ‘He saved his family’: friends of family caught in Mississauga explosion say father is a hero
Officials said 104 businesses were directly impacted by the incident, including 24 residential units.
“All of the buildings outside of the building that the explosion occurred in are able to return,” Beckett said.
“First thing, we had to bring in our building department to make sure they were structurally sound. The damage you see on those with the boarding up are superficial stuff.”
VIDEO: Mississauga plaza explosion may lead to overhaul of safety codes
Beckett said Hurontario Street is now clear for traffic with three northbound lanes and one southbound lane now open.
In addition to some residents being allowed to return home, business owners affected by the blast are being told they can visit their storefronts to assess the damage and complete repairs if needed.
VIDEO: Tenants of the building that exploded on Sunday talk to Global News about their loss and a heroic story of a father saving his family from the collapsing structure
Officials said it will be months before the cause of the explosion can be determined.
“As of yesterday morning, we were able to get into the explosion building itself, ground zero, and start to work into that investigation piece,” Beckett said.
“In speaking with the fire marshal’s office, they anticipate their on-site investigation will take them through till Saturday evening.”
Fire officials said they have yet to figure out the cost of the damages.
“It continues to rise every day as we bring more and more resources on scene and I can tell you that the cost aren’t just to the city,” Beckett said.
“There are outside costs that associates with other agencies and the local businesses themselves in terms of lost revenue.”
VIDEO: Investigation continues into cause of Mississauga explosion in commercial plaza
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