Victims removed from Fernie arena; residents remain evacuated
FERNIE, B.C. – All of the victims have been removed from Fernie Memorial Arena after this week’s deadly ammonia leak.
Two city employees and a contractor were killed Tuesday, Oct. 17 after a leak from the refrigeration unit. Crews moved in Wednesday night after ventilation efforts throughout the day made it possible to begin recovery.
“Something went terribly wrong.”
– Norm McInnis, chief administrative officer, City of Fernie
Fire Chief Ted Ruiter says response teams decided to change their route in to the main entrance instead of the rear of the facilty to avoid any risk to personnel. He explains a trial run was completed prior to the actual recovery to ensure there were no barriers or restraints to hamper efforts.