Fuel vapours in the hold of a boat, combined with an unknown ignition source, caused the boat to explode and set it on fire, resulting in the death of a worker on Dec. 1 in Trois-Rivières, the Quebec Workers’ Health and Safety Board (CNESST) has concluded. The worker was carrying out repairs on the boat, which was in dry dock, for the company MVC Océan, according to the CNESST in its report published on Wednesday. Due to the condition of the site following the explosion and fire, the CNESST was unable to pinpoint the ignition source. The inspector noted, however, that it is likely the worker, who had been tasked with repairing a sensor on the vessel, was using a battery-powered electric tool – a tool capable of producing sparks or static electricity. The CNESST concludes that the working method used to carry out the work in the boat’s hold, an enclosed space containing a petrol tank, was inadequate. This report by The Canadian Press was first published in French on Sept. 14, 2026.
