Massive Exposion in Toronto forces 12,000 people out of their Homes - Includes Video Footage

One man remained missing Monday morning and some area residents continued to be barred from their homes following an enormous explosion at a propane plant in a north Toronto neighbourhood over the weekend.

The missing man has been identified as Parminder Sarminion, an employee at Sunrise Propane.

A series of blasts at the facility and a mushroom-shaped fireball explosion around 3:20 a.m. Sunday forced the evacuation of 12,000 nearby residents. One firefighter died at the scene.

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By Monday morning, the majority of residents had been escorted back to their homes by Toronto fire officials when concerns over asbestos in the area were cleared. It was not immediately known, however, when some residents living closest to the blast would be able to get back into their homes.

Some nearby business owners returned to the scene Monday to find their stores had been looted.

Toronto police would not confirm how many businesses had been targeted by thieves.

Officials from the Ontario fire marshal's office were expected to begin sifting through the remains from the blast to try to determine what set it off.

The blast was so powerful that it blew out windows and literally shook hundreds of residents from their beds. It took firefighters 16 hours to get the blaze under control.

Toronto District Fire Chief Bob Leek, a 25-year veteran of the service, collapsed and died near the scene. It was not immediately clear whether the death was related to the explosions or from a medical condition.

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Meanwhile, all lanes and ramps of the nearby Highway 401, Canada's busiest highway, were reopened Monday for the morning rush hour. Transit buses were also expected to run on a normal schedule and route in the area, officials said.