'Houses don't just explode': Winnipeg police give update on Transcona blast

Winnipeg police say the people who lived at a home that exploded in Transcona Wednesday were not there at time of the blast.

Constable Jason Michalyshen with the Winnipeg Police Service (WPS) confirmed Thursday they made contact with a man and woman, who are a father and daughter, who lived at the home.

“They have been located. They have been identified, and we are speaking to them,” he said.

Firefighters were called to the home on Camrose Bay at around 11:20 a.m. The explosion left debris on the road, and only the foundation of the home remained.

Nearby houses and garages were also damaged by the fire.

Michalyshen said the major crimes unit, the WPS bomb unit and the Winnipeg Fire Paramedic Service are investigating the cause of the explosion and fire.

“We’re not going to leave any stone unturned at this point,” he said.

“The investigation is going to guide us in the direction that it needs to. Right now, we’ve had a catastrophic event in a residential neighbourhood, and we’re going to determine what was the cause. Houses don’t just explode; there’s a reason for it.”

The investigation will be complex, Michalyshen said, noting the debris field was potentially blocks away.

“It’s catastrophic in nature, and for us to piece it together so quickly - it’s not going to happen. We will be in the area for days, potentially weeks. It could be even longer.”

- With files from CTV’s Devon McKendrick