Sentencing in deadly Sunrise propane explosion postponed

The sentencing for two directors of Sunrise Propane in connection with the deadly explosion of a Toronto plant in 2008 has been postponed.

The sentencing was supposed to take place on Dec. 9, 2013, but it was postponed to Wednesday. On Wednesday, it was pushed back again to May 7.

The judge was unavailable this week.

Employee Parminder Saini, 25, died in the explosion, and Bob Leek, 55, a firefighter who responded to the emergency on his day off, died of a heart attack.

Sunrise Propane and its directors, Shay Ben-Moshe and Valery Belahov, were found guilty in June of nine provincial offences in relation to the early-morning blast on Aug. 10, 2008.

The explosion forced 12,500 people from their homes and caused millions in property damage in the Downsview community.

The court ruled Sunrise failed to provide safety training and a safe working environment, discharged a contaminant and contravened a number of provincial orders related to the cleanup after the blast.

The company was cleared on one count of failing to comply with a provincial order.

Ben-Moshe and Belahov also failed to take all reasonable care to prevent the company from flouting those orders, the court said.

Following the explosion, the province shut down all three of Sunrise’s facilities.

Top Stories

Top Stories

Most Watched Today