A rescue mission to find two workers who are trapped under the debris of collapsed scaffold at the Domtar pulp and paper plant in Windsor, Que., is still underway.
The 20-storey high scaffolding caved in during maintenance work on a silo just after 1:30 a.m. on Tuesday morning.
One worker was seriously injured and two were buried by the debris, Domtar said in a statement issued at 9 a.m. on Tuesday.
"Work is underway by specialist responders to carry out their rescue," the statement reads.
A rescue team from the Sherbrooke firefighting service is helping the search efforts.
The plant's general manager, Sylvain Bricault, said the status of the trapped workers is still unknown but that all efforts are being made to get them out.
"We're making sure that everything is being done to support the rescue. The priority is to help the workers," he said.
The injured worker has been transported to hospital and is expected to recover, the company says.
The workers were working for a contractor hired by Domtar, according to Bricault. He did not want to say what contracting company they were associated with.
Emergency services were called to the scene around 1:45 a.m.
Investigators from the Sûreté du Québec's major crimes unit and from the provincial workplace health and safety board (CNESST) will investigate the incident.
A spokesperson for the Estrie CNESST, Dany Grondin, said the investigators don't have access to the site yet because the rescue mission is still underway.
She told Radio-Canada that the investigators would be speaking with witnesses and would make recommendations if warranted. "It's a major workplace accident," she said.
Psychological support services are being offered to workers and colleagues.
Seven people are being treated for shock.
Bricault told Radio-Canada that all activities in the area where the incident happened have been paused and that they were evaluating whether it was safe for work to continue in the other areas of the plant.
Authorities will provide an update on the situation at 4 p.m.
In a news release sent out last week, Domtar advised residents of Windsor that work was being done and to be prepared for potential sulphurous odours or steam release noise during a major maintenance shutdown between Oct. 23 and Nov. 3.
Windsor is located 150 kilometres east of Montreal.
Domtar employs about 900 people in the Townships.
2 workers still stuck under debris more than 12 hours after accident at Windsor, Que., paper plant - CBC.ca
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