Pond Inlet man dies after propane tank explosion

SEAN McKIBBON

IQALUIT — A Pond Inlet man, Jesse Erkloo, 24, died this week of severe burns he sustained after a propane tank explosion on Nov. 2.

Erkloo had received third degree burns to more than 90 per cent of his body.

He and two other Pond Inlet men had been using a blow torch to smoke drugs inside a porch when the tank exploded.

Erkloo’s Nov.15 death at the burn unit of the Hotel Dieu hospital in Montreal comes at the beginning of Canada’s national addictions awareness week.

According to the RCMP in Pond Inlet, Erkloo received skin grafts to both of his arms on Nov. 11, and was scheduled to receive grafts to his legs and torso last weekend.

Wayne Agnetsiak, another Pond Inlet man injured in the Nov. 2 explosion, is also considered to be in critical but stable condition, police said. Agnetsiak was also evacuated to Montreal. The RCMP said in a Nov. 12 communiqué that Agnetsiak had received grafts to his arms early last week.

“Provided the grafts take (he) should not need any further operations. Wayne had received third degree burns to 20 per cent of his body,” the news release said.

The third man in the explosion was not as seriously hurt and is still being treated in Iqaluit, Cst. Ken Goodine of the Pond Inlet RCMP detachment said on Monday. Goodine would not release the man’s name.

“That’s not necessary. It doesn’t make or break anything,” said Goodine.

No charges are pending and the incident was an accident, said Goodine.