At least six homes were evacuated Thursday after a landslide in a North Burnaby neighbourhood.
The slide occurred near the Barnet Highway, and happened after the retaining wall of a property in the 7300-block of Braeside Drive gave way around 8:30 a.m., according to Burnaby manager of work operations Brian Carter.
Aerial footage shows an area that appears to be under construction at the property where the slide originated.
“Our primary focus is just make the site safe now.”
Carter said there were no immediate reports of injuries, and that the city had disconnected some utilities such as power.
Initial reports said eight homes were evacuated, but later releases lowered that number to six.
One resident who lives next to the evacuated homes told Global News she had concerns about the wall even after it was completed a few months ago.
“We’ve lived here for way over 40 years, and I’ve never seen seen walls like that get put up at all,” Jannet Tricarico said.
“We have been complaining about the water coming down. When water comes down that much, it’s mud.”
TransMountain, which operates the nearby Westridge Marine Terminal, said the slide was not in proximity to any of its operations, property or equipment.
The evacuation order was lifted after 5 p.m. Thursday evening, but homeowners were told not to go into their backyards for safety concerns. Power remained out for the properties.
Crews were expected to remain on site throughout the evening into Friday morning, when cleanup will continue.
-With files from Erin Ubels and Jill Bennett