Yellowknife explosion caused by person 'huffing' propane in parked boat, RCMP say

Police say an explosion in downtown Yellowknife on Tuesday happened as someone was "huffing" propane from inside a parked boat.

The incident left one person injured and in critical condition, RCMP said in a news release on Wednesday.

A loud crack at 2:10 a.m. local time on Tuesday from a property near the corner of 54th Street and 52nd Avenue woke up many residents and drew a small crowd. 

RCMP say they received several calls immediately after the blast. The release says officers went to the location and found a person lying on the ground near the remains of a boat that was destroyed in the explosion.

The person was flown out of Yellowknife for treatment. 

Debris from the boat was strewn across the road and neighbouring properties — and hanging from nearby trees.

In its own news release Wednesday afternoon, the City of Yellowknife said the blast caused "significant damage" to the garage of a nearby residence, and damaged neighbouring properties as well.

The city stated Wednesday that the person inside the boat was taken to hospital with "minor, non-life-threatening injuries." In a follow-up email, city spokesperson Saxon Chung said that the person had "immediately identifiable injuries" at the scene and was later medevaced out of Yellowknife following further evaluation at Stanton hospital.

"Injuries resulting from blast trauma may include internal injuries that are not immediately apparent and can present later," he wrote.

In the news release, RCMP advised that using inhalants such as propane or gasoline is dangerous. It says in addition to the internal health risks, inhalants are volatile substances that can explode or cause fires "under the right conditions."

Police also advised residents to ensure that things like gasoline or propane are locked up or inaccessible.