Ottawa man charged with criminal negligence, arson in Orleans explosion

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Ottawa police have laid 12 charges against a 35-year-old man in connection to an explosion last month that injured 12 people.

People in the Orleans area were awoken in the early morning of Feb. 13 by what was described as a “big bang” — an explosion that destroyed several homes under construction.

Firefighters initially blamed the blast on a suspected gas leak, then backtracked on Feb. 23, saying the cause was under investigation.

Kody Troy Crosby has now been charged with four counts each of criminal negligence causing bodily harm and arson causing bodily harm, as well as two counts of breaking and entering.

Crosby was also charged with arson with disregard for human life and arson causing property damage.

The area’s city councillor, Catherine Kitts, said 30 homes in the neighbourhood were occupied at the time of the explosion and people were forced to leave their homes temporarily. However, 10 families still haven’t been able to return home due to the damage.

“I do think there’s an opportunity to review safety on construction sites and I look forward to those conversations,” Kitts said.

The explosion sent six people to the hospital, including two children and two men who sustained severe injuries.

Crosby was set to appear in court Thursday morning. The charges have not been proven in court.

According to the CBC, police have confirmed that Crosby was not an employee of Minto Construction, which was overseeing the worksite. But police also refused to rule out the possibility that he worked for one of the many subcontractors on the construction site.

With files from OHS Canada