The Montreal police arson squad is investigating after a powerful explosion rocked an apartment building in Lasalle Sunday morning.
Montreal firefighters were called to the building at 378 6th Ave. near George St. around 7 a.m.
Gilles Ducharme, chief of operations for the Montreal fire department, said the blast was so strong that it blew the apartment building's front door right off its hinges.
"We had also part of the frame that was on the other side of the street, so it was a huge blast...even the skylight on the roof was gone when we arrived on the roof," Ducharme said.
William Warner, who lives next door to the building, said he was startled by the noise.
"I heard a big bang, so I got up and I looked around. I didn't see anything. Then my neighbour across here, he came to knock on the door. He said, 'There's a fire! Fire!' So I got dressed and got out."
Montreal police Const. Daniel Lacoursiere said the fire didn't start inside any of the apartment units, but rather in a common area between the first floor apartments and the basement units.
"When the investigator of the fire department went, he considered the blaze as suspect. That's why it was transferred to the Montreal police department," Lacoursiere said.
All 12 people who lived in the building escaped without injury.
One asthmatic woman in her 20s was taken to hospital as a precaution after breathing in some of the smoke.
Most of the victims have taken shelter with family members or friends, but one person is being put up in a hotel and four others are being provided with food and clothing from The Red Cross.
