RCMP confirmed one person is dead after an explosion on Friday rocked residents in Langley, B.C.
The blast, which occurred in the Clayton neighbourhood on Feb. 28, was so intense that initial speculation suggested a helicopter crash. However, Langley RCMP later confirmed that the explosion originated from within a home in the 7300 block of 196 Street.
A nearby resident, who requested anonymity, recounted the moment of the blast to the Langley Advance Times:
“All of a sudden—woof!—a big explosion. At first, I thought a vehicle had crashed into a house, but then I saw a white cloud of smoke rising and insulation blown everywhere.”
As investigators and concerned residents ruled out a helicopter crash, speculation turned to the possibility of a drug lab explosion.
That theory gained traction Monday when Sgt. Sharoom acknowledged the scene’s characteristics—including the fire and materials found inside—were “consistent with what is found at an illegal drug extraction lab.”
However, Sharoom cautioned that no definitive conclusions can be drawn until further investigation and expert analysis are completed.
Police and forensic teams have remained at the site, meticulously examining the wreckage. Meanwhile, the B.C. Coroners Service is working to formally identify the deceased individual.
Drug lab explosions have become increasingly common in the region over the last decade.
In 2018, an entire apartment building was evacuated in New Westminster after a similar, albeit less explosive, drug lab explosion.
At a different Langley housing complex not far away from Friday’s explosion, the fire department stumbled across a similar drug lab last year while trying to locate a broken water pipe that was leaking into the floor below.
More recently in West Vancouver, a man who accidentally set fire to his home in 2022 while making MDMA received no jail time as a result.
Relevantly, a recent report from Canada’s security agency noted the number of organized crime groups in Canada manufacturing illicit drugs doubled over the past year, from 51 in 2023 to 99 in 2024.