A gas leak at a construction site in the Orleans area, located east of the Canadian capital Ottawa, caused a large explosion on Monday morning, according to emergency officials.

Ottawa Fire Services said in a tweet on Twitter that the explosion, which residents reported hearing just after 6:15 a.m., destroyed "several homes" under construction in the Orléans area.

Explaining that "the gas is still leaking at this time and they urged everyone to avoid the area".

Paramedics said several people suffered minor injuries as a result of the explosion.

On the other hand, officials said firefighters rescued a person from the rubble using chainsaws to remove debris. This person is in stable condition and able to speak.

Meanwhile, the Ottawa Police Service said in a tweet on Twitter Monday morning: "We are aware of the incident that occurred in the Tenth Line and Harvest Valley area in the eastern end of the city, and we have deployed several resources to assist."

On the other hand, many social media users in Orléans reported a large explosion that woke them up after 6:18 a.m. on Monday.

A nearby resident told some local media that their windows shattered due to the explosion.

Meanwhile, the police said that Tenth Line is closed at Sweetvalley Drive and Harvest Valley Avenue.

The police said OC Transpo was notified to send buses to the scene to transport those affected.

The police urged anyone to contact any officer on site to find out the location of the buses upon arrival."