Powell River RCMP evacuated residents from 12 homes in the Zilinsky Road area on Sunday, March 20 after a bucket filled with dynamite was discovered.
Police were called to a residence in the 2200 block of Zilinsky Road after the property owner found explosives when he was clearing out blackberry bushes. The owner came upon a garbage can filled with what looked like old dynamite.
“An inspection revealed a 10-gallon plastic container filled with unstable dynamite and other explosive materials,” said Sergeant Cam Muir.
Police immediately contacted the RCMP “E” Division Explosives Disposal Unit from Vancouver. They determined the explosives were too volatile to be moved. “As such, the explosives had to be disposed of in place,” Muir said. “As a safety precaution, approximately 12 nearby homes were evacuated for over two hours while this took placed.”
Members of the Malaspina Volunteer Fire Department and the BC Ambulance Service also attended and assisted. “All explosive materials were safely destroyed,” said Muir. “There were no injuries or damage to property.”
Police believe the materials may be related to an explosives theft which occurred over 10 years ago in the Powell River region, Muir said. “One of the suspects in that theft was a former resident of a home near the location where the explosives were found,” he said.
The investigation is ongoing.
