Some residents have been allowed to return after a gas leak at a condo in West Kelowna – Okanagan

Some residents displaced by an early morning gas leak at a residential building in West Kelowna are being allowed to return home.

Shortly after midnight on December 26, residents of 2470 Gosset Road were awakened by the sound of alarms triggered by a gas leak.

“There were people standing here in their bedroom slippers with no socks, no bathrobes, and there were people holding their cats, and they were trying to figure out what was going on,” resident Mark Vanderkam described.

Vanderkam is one of dozens of residents who have been forced to flee. He told Global News that a body was found inside the compound.

“One of the residents said there was a corpse discovered on the 6th floor and had been there since last week,” Vanderkam said.

RCMP confirmed that a body was found in the building, but was not linked to the gas leak. The body is believed to have been there for some time. Police told Global News they were called to the Gossett Road complex on the evening of Christmas Day following a report of a deceased individual.

« There were a lot of police around, and they weren’t really ready, and then we saw people in full hazmat suits and oxygen tanks, » Vanderkam said.

While authorities were on the scene, the gas leak was discovered, forcing everyone out. The leak prevented the body from being removed on Sunday evening – it was not until Monday afternoon that officials could be seen carrying the body out of the building on a stretcher.

“It was an upsetting and very disruptive event for the residence over the holiday season, but our amazing community came together to make sure everyone was taken care of, which we are eternally grateful for,” said the constable. Kelowna RCMP Media Relations Officer Mike Della-Paolera.

On Monday afternoon, some of the residents of the non-water-damaged suites were given the green light to return home, but others still don’t know when they will be able to return.

Residents can contact the building owner for more information on specific back-to-school details.

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