North Vancouver housing complex fire claims lives of mother and son

A mother and her young son are deadafter a fire broke out at ahousing complex in North Vancouver early Monday morning.

They were part of a family of four living at the Mountain Village Garden Apartments complex in Lynn Valley.

Officials have not yet identified the victims but family members confirmed that Narges Casnajad and her son Sepehr were killed in the fire.

Flames broke out in one of the wood-frame buildings just before 2:30 a.m. PT on Monday.

Dorsa Pedroud and her mother,MojganAhmadbeygi, knew the family and spoke to the surviving father and elder soninhospital.

She said the father and sonescaped their second-storey unit by jumping from the balcony and a window.

The boy had tried to get his mother and younger brother to jump too.

"She didn't jump out because of her son she wants to take her son and come out together," said Ahmadbeygi.

Ahmadbeygisaid the family, originally from Iran,had been living in the building for a few years.

In all, more than 150 people were forced out of their homes as the fire expanded in size.

A city statement said 16other people some with serious injuries were taken to hospitals across the Lower Mainland.

"There's a wide range of some serious injuries, smokeinhalation, there's burns," said District of North Vancouver fire Chief BrianHutchinson.

ResidentTerryWagmandescribed a scene of panic and chaos just before firefighters arrived.

"Everyone was just running everywhere, trying to make sure everyone was OK," he said. "All Icould see was orange flames shooting way up in the air, 30 feetin the air."

One witness, Siva Chavali, filmed an explosion during the fire:

Explosion during Lynn Valley fire

6 years ago

Duration 0:25

Raw footage from resident Siva Chavalli of the fire at Mountain Village Garden Apartments in North Vancouver early June 11 shows an explosion shooting flames into the sky.

Chief Hutchinson said thefire started on the first floor of one building and quickly tore up to the second level.

More than a dozen units were extensively damaged, according to RCMP.

About 70 evacuees have been permanently displaced from their homes. Residents of the threebuildings that weren't severely affected by the fire were allowed back into their homes.

Wagmansaid the damage could have been "so much worse" if not for nearly 30 firefighters who responded.

"They saved a lot of people's lives and a lot more damage could have happened if they hadn't been so quick and so active in the way they pursued this,"Wagmansaid.

The cause of the fire hasn't been determined.

Hutchinson said investigators are still working to determine whether the units had working smoke alarms.

With files from Zahra Premjiand Briar Stewart