Explosion in commercial building in Ottawa, 6 feared dead

Police said they did not expect to find any survivors in their search for the missing four men and a woman.

Six people were feared dead after an explosion and subsequent fire at a commercial building in Ottawa, police said on Friday, as authorities searched for missing employees.

Firefighters are shown at the scene of an explosion in Ottawa, Ontario. (AP)

Three men were taken to the hospital after the blast Thursday afternoon in the Canadian capital's Nepean area, and authorities were searching for five others who were unaccounted for, Ottawa police said.

Police said they did not expect to find any survivors in their search for the missing four men and a woman.

One of the men taken to the hospital succumbed to their injuries, while another remained in serious but stable condition, police said, adding that the third man had been released.

CBC news reported that the site of the incident belongs to Eastway Tank Pump & Meter Ltd, a manufacturer of custom tank trucks. Reuters' phone calls to the business were not answered on Friday.

Ottawa Mayor Jim Watson offered condolences to the family of the deceased and support for those awaiting word on the missing. "No words can take away the stress and devastation as these people await news about their relatives and friends," he wrote on Twitter.

The city's police and fire departments were investigating the incident, along with the labor ministry, according to a statement.