'I'm still shaking,' evacuee says as Mississauga blast forces up to 100 out of their homes

When the blast hit, Kim Gomes' first thought was her children. With the window blown in, debris everywhere, she grabbed her kids and ran out of her home to find neighbours badly hurt and homes severely damaged.

Gomes was among up to 100 people who have been forced out of their homes as fire crews work to stabilize the scene of a massive explosion that left one dead and injured several more, damaging 25 homes in Mississauga. 

"Nobody knew what happened, everyone was just terrified and shaking… I'm still shaking," she said. "We just ran… we thought there was going to be another explosion."

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Speaking to reporters Tuesday night, Const. Paolo Carretta said there is limited access to 700 homes within a perimeter running from Rathburn Road to the south, Golden Orchard Drive to the west, Eastgate Parkway to the north and Dixie Road to the east.

Anyone inside that perimeter must stay inside their homes or make arrangements to leave, police say. Anyone outside will not be allowed back in until the area is deemed safe. When that might be, police say, is not yet known.

No estimated time for return

Earlier Tuesday, Mississauga Fire Chief Tim Beckett said 15 homes had been evacuated, with gas and water shut off to a total of 58 homes. Later on, Carretta said the number of actual evacuated homes could be as high as 25-30.

"We've got extensive damage in the neighbouring homes not only on Hickory... but on Rathburn and on Dixie," Carretta said. "I can't predict if it's going to be hours, days, or weeks at this time," he said of when residents might be able to return. 

A heavy urban search and rescue team from is expected to help determine how to deal with the remaining unstable homes, Beckett said. The team is also trained to locate, remove and provide medical attention for people who might be trapped in collapsed buildings. 

By Tuesday night, there was still no word on the cause of the blast. An investigation isn't yet underway.

Collapsed and unstable homes

That's because the area remains unsafe for investigators to begin their work. 

"We definitely have collapsed homes and unstable homes," Carretta said. 

Meanwhile, the city's mayor Bonnie Crombie is encouraging residents to check in at Burnhamthorpe Community Centre, which has been set up as an emergency reception centre. 

"Family reunification is a key concern," Crombie said, adding that there have been reports of missing persons since the explosion, and some residents have called police expressing concern about loved ones.

Residents are being encouraged to use the community centre as a meeting hub and to register for assistance with the Red Cross if they need it. 

'You're not going to get in'

"If you're outside of that area right now and need to get in, you're not going to get in," Beckett said.

"We still have live wires; we still have gas in the area," Beckett said, but said residents outside the area have no reason to be concerned.

Social services personnel are stationed at the community centre with food and water, as well as to help with any medication needs that residents may have, he said. 

Beckett said he anticipates residents will be away from their homes for a "prolonged" time, but couldn't give an estimate on how long that might be. 

"I am praying to God tonight that everyone was safely at work [at the time]," Mississauga mayor Bonnie Crombie said of the explosion.