Peel Regional Police bicycle patrol officers were the first on scene, searching through the damaged homes for victims. One woman was carried out her front door by a bike officer.

Mississauga firefighters took over the search of the rubble, locating the rest of the victims who were treated by Peel Paramedics.

Peel Paramedics say they have seven ambulances, three supervisors, Toronto Paramedic Support Unit, Peel Paramedic Support Unit, and a bus on scene.

“The fire department has done a really good job with their primary search,” said Peel Paramedic Supt. Joe Korstanje. “They found all of the patients we have treated so far.”

The neighbourhood, in the area of Rathburn Road East and Dixie Road, has been evacuated.

Mississauga News employee Brandon Dortona, who lives in the neighbourhood, was at the office when the explosion happened, but his mother was home. All the windows on one side of his home were “blown out” and the front door was forced open by the blast, Dortona said. His house is about 50 yards down the opposite side of the street from the site of the explosion.

His mother was unhurt. Police told her to leave the area, so she grabbed her dogs, jumped into her SUV and went to Dortona’s grandparents’ nearby home, which is unscathed.

“I don’t know when I can go back home,” Dortona said.

“The whole area is blocked,” he added. “There are helicopters, fire trucks … It’s a crazy scene here.”

He said a lot of people would likely have been home when the explosion hit because it’s “more of a retirement community.”

“I’m concerned because I have a bunch of friends that live here,” said Dortona, who grew up in the neighbourhood. He said he’s only been able to contact some of his neighbours.

Photographer Claudio Cugliari lives nearby and he heard a huge explosion, and saw a puff of smoke, then rushed to the area.

He was on scene within minutes.

“It looked like a war zone,” Cugliari said. “It was like pictures from a hurricane, the aftermath of a hurricane, that’s what it looked like. Everything was strewn all over, tons of 2 by 4s, aluminum, bricks.” The debris field is wide, covering several blocks.

A neighbour said there was a middle-aged couple living in the house that exploded, but they don't believe any children lived there.

It is not known if they were home at the time, or what caused the explosion, but it’s possible natural gas was the source.

There is substantial debris that has spread across a large area of the city, including debris on the roofs of neighbouring homes.

Michela Bosnjak was sitting on her porch near Dundas Street and Tomken Road when she heard a “big boom.” She said she thought it was thunder because the sky looked dark, but within 10 minutes what appeared to be small pieces of insulation started falling.

“Insulation was flying down everywhere,” Bosnjak said. “It looked like snow.”

She added there was a strong smell of smoke when the insulation fell.

Mississauga fire has 40 firefighters on scene. There was no working fire, just “smouldering”, according to Platoon Chief Alan Hills.

He said it’s too early to tell what caused the explosion.

“It's a major, major explosion here and the firefighters are having difficulty accessing the area's that are close to the epicentre of the blast,” Hills said. “I'm looking at one house that's no longer there. That house is all over the road.”

With files from Jason Spencer, Patricia Lonergan, Louie Rosella

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