Explosion destroys motel and bar

TROIS-RIVIERES, Que. — A motelbar complex became a flattened pile of burning debris after an explosion ripped through it Friday.

Smoke swirled up in an enormous cloud from the debris of the Motel Le Havre, which was joined in the complex by the adjacent Turco bar, as firefighters moved in to attack the blaze. Bricks and lumber littered the site and some passersby reported hearing two blasts.

Michel Letarte, a spokesman for the Trois-Rivieres fire department, said firefighters were limited to a defensive role because of the devastation, spraying water to control the flames, making sure they didn’t spread.

Ambulances raced to the scene but there were no immediate reports of deaths or injuries. Officials were meeting with the owner of the motel to see if there had been any staff or guests present and firefighters picked through the debris after the fire was brought under control.

The establishment made news last year, when police arrested nine people in a series of drug raids. Two of the motel rooms were among the raid sites.

Residents near the establishment heard a loud explosion at around noon on Friday, after which a fire broke out, spreading quickly. Residents close to the fire were evacuated for their safety.

Police said they raided the motel in 2012 while investigating a drugtrafficking ring and made arrests related to pimping. Police were unable to say Friday if the explosion and the raids are connected. Trois-Rivieres is on the St. Lawrence River, 120 kilometres east of Montreal.