Body of young person found in remains of Markham house explosion

York police say the body of a young person has been found in the rubble of a house explosion in Markham where a 12-year-old has been unaccounted for.

Investigators will wait for an autopsy once the remains have been recovered before confirming whether it is indeed the missing boy.

Four members of one family were inside the townhouse when the explosion occurred at 10 a.m on Sunday. It’s believed the missing 12-year-old was in the basement.

A 14-year-old boy and a six-year-old boy were rushed to the SickKids hospital. Their 41-year-old mother was also transported to a trauma centre with serious injuries. All three remain in critical condition.

The father was not home at the time of the explosion and was later located.

The home was completely destroyed and the adjacent units also have to be knocked down due to extensive damage.

The investigation is expected to take at least another two to three days and it’s too early to say what caused the explosion at this time.

Police did say the fire is not considered to be suspicious at this time.

“We have more questions than answers,” said Staff Sgt. Dave Mitchell. “The father, as you can imagine what they are going through, they have questions.”

Mitchell said it is way too early to say even where the explosion occurred.

York police continue to ask anyone who may have witnessed the explosion to contact investigators.