No serious injuries after explosion at Sask. canola-crushing plant

YORKTON, Sask.—The mayor of the southeastern Saskatchewan city of Yorkton said it’s lucky that no one was seriously injured in an explosion at a canola-crushing plant.

Bob Maloney says one minor ankle injury was reported at the Louis Dreyfus Commodities plant on Highway 16.

“The tremor was felt at city hall,” Maloney said of the blast that happened more than one kilometre away.

“Walls were blown out (at the plant).”

Police and fire crews were called to the plant at about 8:30 a.m. Oct. 24.

“The damage to the plant seems rather extensive,” Maloney said. “Fortunately, it was in the meal pellet storage area, basically a big shed.”

Margo Gray, who works at a nearby moving and storage business, said she felt the building shake.

“We had thought that it was one of our trucks in our yard, but it was stronger than we had ever heard before,” she said.

One of the drivers she works with was near the blast site and reported that the whole back part of one building was gone, she said.

A spokesperson for Louis Dreyfus Commodities said a storage shed was partially damaged.

All employees and visitors were accounted for.

“We are investigating the circumstances of the explosion and working with the authorities,” Eleni Androulaki said in a statement. “Louis Dreyfus Commodities is committed to ensuring the health and safety of its employees and the communities which it serves.”

The cause and extent of damage was under investigation.