Northern Alta. house explosion likely caused by gas leak: RCMP

Northern Alberta Mounties are investigating a house explosion in Swan Hills early Monday morning.

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Their preliminary investigation suggests the 3:55 a.m. explosion on Pan Am Street was caused by a gas leak, RCMP said in a news release.

In doorbell security footage provided by a neighbour across the street, light fills the basement windows then the main floor windows before the house explodes, shooting debris in all directions.

No one was in the house the time, police said. Neighbours told CTV News Edmonton the property has been vacant for a while.

Multiple neighbouring homes and vehicles were damaged. No one was hurt.

Of the shockwaves that shook her home 10 houses down the street, Danielle Mast said, "(There were) pictures frames falling (off) the wall, falling in our bedroom. So then we thought that either something hit our house. Honestly, we thought maybe it was a meteor."

When she realized what had happened, she called 911. Her first thought was of everyone in the blast zone.

"The panic kind of set in. You don't know if your neighbours are hurt until you get up there."

Another neighbourhood resident echoed the gratitude that no one was hurt in the incident.

"(It's) a little scary, considering my kids like to go to that park up the road. It could have happened yesterday during the day," Dustin Langeveld said.

Mounties promised the explosion would be investigated to the "fullest extent" but said at this stage, it doesn't appear to be criminal.

Swan Hills is located 220 kilometres northwest of Edmonton.

With files from CTV News Edmonton's Nav Sangha