A 63-year-old man was killed in a plane crash in the Shawinigan region about 150 kilometres northeast of Montreal on Sunday afternoon.
The Sûreté du Québec say the seaplane was seen falling over the St-Maurice river in Mauricie before crashing around 3:45 p.m.
Several hydro lines were damaged leaving more than 5,000 residents without power in the afternoon.
It’s unclear why the pilot lost control of the aircraft but mechanical failure is a possible cause.
Police searched the crash site for other passengers but concluded 63-year-old Rene Martel was likely alone aboard the plane.
He was pulled from the plane and taken to hospital where he was declared dead.
Witnesses report hearing a loud explosion immediately following the crash.
An investigation is underway to determine the exact circumstances.