WATCH: The fire marshal's office gives update on cause of Mississauga explosion pic.twitter.com/kDNiUyY1Z2
— NEWSTALK1010 (@NEWSTALK1010) December 30, 2016
Officials in Mississauga say a house explosion in June that killed two people and left dozens of families without homes was an intentional act of double suicide.
Kevin Pahor, an investigator with the Ontario Fire Marshal's revealed Friday the natural gas line inside 4201 Hickory Dr had been disconnected from the basement water heater in two places, flooding the home with gas. While Pahor could not say how long the gas had been flowing freely, neighbours in the subdivision near Rathburn Rd E and Dixie Rd detected the smell of gas about 90 minutes before the house shook.
55-year-old Diane Page and her husband Robert Nadler, also 55 were killed.
WATCH: Chief Evans gives update on the cause of the Mississauga explosion pic.twitter.com/R4W9itZRR3
— NEWSTALK1010 (@NEWSTALK1010) December 30, 2016
Peel Police Chief Jennifer Evans says the cause of their deaths was determined to be blunt force trauma, caused by flying debris in the home. Investigators were not able to figure out where in their home Page and Nadler were at the time of the blast.
Investigators believe distressing hand-written notes found among the debris were written by page. They say they reflect a writer in a state of depression.
The explosion displaced 69 families. Six months later, 33 have not been able to return home. Mayor Bonnie Crombie says a community meeting will be held in the coming weeks to address outstanding issues for those residents including with insurance and utilities.
with a file from Corinne Van Dusen