Fire destroys the sawmill at Lakeland Mills last night

Prince George, BC – Six injured workers are listed in serious condition at the University Hospital of Northern BC following last night’s deadly explosion that ripped through the sawmill at Lakeland Mills in the CNR industrial site.

The BC Coroner’s Service has confirmed that one person died of injuries sustained at approximately 5:30am this morning.  There were 50 employees on-shift when the blast and ensuing fire engulfed the sawmill.  Miraculously, 25 workers in the planer mill escaped injury.  A total of 24 workers were treated at UHNBC.

Northern Health’s Director of Communications, Steve Raper, says four patients have been transferred to other hospitals via air ambulance:  three were sent just after 1am – two to Vancouver General Hospital, and one to Royal Jubilee in Victoria.  Later this morning, a fourth person was transferred to the University Hospital of Alberta.

Six remain at the hospital in Prince George in serious condition, another 13 were treated and released.  "It’s certainly a tragic incident, " says NH’s Director of Communications.  "I know I speak for all the staff and physicians at Northern Health in putting out our hearts for the victims and the family members."

As family members gathered at the hospital overnight, Raper says there were support services available to ensure that they had an opportunity to get information and, if they needed it, to access support.  "Those supports will continue – there’s provincial programs and the Ministry of Social Services will provide support to the familes from here on out."

In addition, Raper says there is now counselling for staff.  "Certainly an event of this magnitude and the type of injuries is difficult for many staff, so we’ve put some systems in place to ensure that people have the ability to get some counselling or access some resources to support them should they need it."