Police, ministry of labour investigating cause of fire that killed 1 worker at St. Catharines facility

Niagara Regional Police Service (NRPS) are looking for video from the explosion and fire that killed a worker at a hazardous waste facility in St. Catharines, Ont., as they continue to investigate the circumstances around the Jan. 12 incident. 

A St. Catharines man in his 30s died "due to his injuries," police said, a day after the man was rushed to hospital in critical condition. 

Police previously said emergency crews were called to the Ssonix Products facility at 20 Keefer Rd. just after 6:30 a.m. ET. The company's website said its line of business includes producing gasoline, kerosene, distillate fuel oils, residual fuel oils and lubricants.

St. Catharines fire department Chief Dave Upper said last week the man was working there and the only person at the facility at the time of the explosion. He was initially taken to a local hospital, but later transferred to the burn unit at Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre in Toronto.

Crews were able to extinguish the fire after evacuating the neighbourhood for several hours. About 50 residents had to leave their homes but were able to return to later in the day.

In an update Tuesday, NRPS said its detectives are "working with the Ontario's Office of the Fire Marshall, the St. Catharines Fire Service, the Ministry of Labour and the office of the coroner to determine the circumstances and cause of the explosions and fire."

"Investigators are appealing to the public who may have video of the explosion and fire especially in its early stages," NRPS said Tuesday.

The Ministry of Labour told CBC Hamilton an inspector, occupational hygienist and engineer have been assigned to the ongoing investigation.

A day after the incident, the Ontario Ministry of the Environment, Conservation and Parks said it was on the scene "to assess the extent of the impacts, including collecting samples," spokesperson Gary Wheeler wrote in an email to CBC News on Friday.

"The ministry will ensure the owner takes all necessary steps to clean up the impacts" to the environment, Wheeler said, adding that prior to the fire, there were no complaints or ongoing environmental compliance issues at Ssonix.