Police say individuals broke into building prior to explosion in Prince George

PRINCE GEORGE — Mounties in Prince George say multiple unauthorized people broke into a building before an explosion rocked the downtown core roughly two weeks ago.

According to an update from the Prince George RCMP, investigators have been working diligently to uncover the cause of the event since the early morning explosion that occurred on Tuesday, August 22 in downtown Prince George.

The investigation so far has determined that the building was secured in the early evening on August 21, but was broken into over the course of the night by multiple unauthorized people, according to a statement from Prince George RCMP spokesperson Jennifer Cooper. Fire investigators have further determined there is evidence of copper pipe theft, which resulted in damage to at least one natural gas line.

The source of the ignition that created the explosion was due to the activities of one of the unauthorized persons within the building, who were unaware at the time of the buildup of natural gas inside the structure.