The Pine Street home was reduced to rubble around 8:20 p.m. on Feb. 27, according to a Nanaimo RCMP media release. The sound of the blast was heard around the city.
Police believe the crash occurred when a woman lost control of her vehicle, crossed over the meridian and collided with a driver travelling the opposite direction.
The health region said it continues to see increased patient volumes due to the record-breaking heat wave as Canada Day approaches — typically one of the busiest days for emergency room visits.
“Unless we have these facilities on site, we are not going to be able to treat heart attacks,” said Dr. Arun Natarajan, a cardiologist at NRGH. “It’s very unusual that we don’t have this facility here.”