An apparent ammonia leak at an arena in Fernie has killed three workers who were repairing the refrigeration plant at the municipal ice rink.
Police, fire, paramedics and WorkSafe BC investigators were on scene at the Fernie Memorial Arena after the leak was reported shortly before noon on Tuesday.
In an email, Trish Knight Chernecki from WorkSafe BC called the incident “a tragic loss of life.”
WorkSafe BC’s preliminary information suggested three workers were exposed to a gas leak. The agency was contacted by the Fernie Fire Department at 12:30 p.m. and there are now three WorkSafe BC officers on site.
More officers will be at the scene on Wednesday, once Fernie RCMP have completed their investigation.
Nearby homes and businesses, including a retirement home, were evacuated after the leak was reported, between 9th and 13th streets and Highway 3 and 6th Avenue.
The arena is at the corner of 6th Avenue and 11th Street.
Fernie fire chief Ted Ruiter said the situation was “somewhat under control.”
“Anytime you’re dealing with fatalities it’s always tough,” he said of the event’s impact on his crews. “We’re a small city and everybody knows each other. It’s very hard to deal with, for sure.”
The city said the victims’ next of kin have been notified and their identities are not being released at this time.
Ruiter said the Ministry of Environment is also sending staff to assist with monitoring and to determine what the next steps will be.
“We’re still concerned about some ammonia leaking into the environment,” he said.
In a media release, the city said emergency crews still can’t safely enter the arena, adding that it is working with CIMCO Refrigeration and is trying to obtain additional specialized resources to deal with the hazardous situation.
Highway 3, which runs behind the arena, remained open to traffic, but after the risk to the neighbouring area became clear, several streets were closed: 9th Street and 11th Street from the highway to 6th Avenue and 6th Avenue from 9th to 11th streets.
Tuesday morning, the city had announced that the arena was closed for the day because emergency repairs needed to be made to the refrigeration plant. Ammonia is used as a refrigerant for ice arenas and other large refrigeration systems.
Craig Mohr, coach and general manager of the Fernie Ghostriders junior hockey team, said the team was told early Tuesday that the arena was closed.
Barb Anderson, president of the Ghostriders said no one from the team was affected by the leak.
“The arena is city owned and operated. We are one of the user groups,” she said.
Ammonia is a colourless gas that is very toxic if inhaled and can cause death. It can cause severe irritation of the nose and throat and life-threatening accumulation of fluid in the lungs.
Symptoms of ammonia poisoning may include coughing, shortness of breath, difficulty breathing and tightness in the chest.
The Canadian Centre for Occupational Health and Safety also says symptoms may develop hours after exposure and are made worse by physical effort.
— With a file from The Canadian Press
