Fiery crash near Langara rocks neighbourhood

The Vancouver Police Department is reporting that a van has crashed at the intersection of Oak and West 53rd, with emergency crews arriving on scene.

According to the ScanBC Twitter account, the crash site is in close proximity to a house, and has closed Oak in both directions for a four-block radius. Hazmat teams are reportedly en route as police believe the van was a “mobile meth lab,” with a large number of flammable containers inside. The driver and passenger inside the van apparently fled on foot, and it is currently unclear if they were being pursued by police prior to the crash.

UPDATE 5:11 p.m. – Voice reporter Nick Eagland is live from the scene and will be tweeting updates as they happen. Follow him @nickeagland.

UPDATE Oct. 8 12:08 p.m. – The Vancouver Police Department is now reporting that the explosion was not a result of a meth lab in the back of the van, but rather a large number of illegal containers and gasoline. According to a VPD release, two Coquitlam men, aged 19 and 25, checked into Eagle Ridge Hospital after the incident with various burns, and remain there in serious condition. Charges have yet to be laid.

Reported by Quinn Mell-Cobb