Mounties have launched a criminal probe into a drug-related explosion that rocked an apartment building in Nanaimo Tuesday, sending a man to hospital with severe burns.
A 19-year-old woman suffered minor burns while a child in the apartment was unharmed, according to Nanaimo RCMP. The 31-year-old man remains in hospital for treatment.
Nanaimo Fire Rescue and police were called to the blast in the 3200-block of Rock City Road at around 9:30 p.m., and investigators quickly deemed it suspicious.
The explosion was later determined to be caused by the production of a controlled substance, RCMP said.
“These types of incidents place all occupants within the apartment building at risk, along with attending first responders and people walking past,” Cpl. Jon Stuart said in a media release.
Anyone with further information on the blast is asked to call Nanaimo RCMP at 250-754-2345 or Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477.
