Fernie RCMP continues to hold the scene at the local hockey arena where an ammonia leak killed three workers, but fire officials say the bodies of the victims have been removed.
The investigation is still in its early stages, but officials say investigators were finally able to enter the arena on Wednesday afternoon.
Officials say the leak still hasn't been stopped, so that's preventing residents from being allowed back in.
"Yesterday, ventilation was one of the things we were concerned with on through the night until about 11:00 p.m. when we determined that recovery could start," said Ted Ruiter with the Fernie Fire Department.
Authorities were called to the arena on Tuesday afternoon when the leak was discovered and when they arrived, a resident was performing CPR on one unconscious victim.
Two others were found inside the facility and all three were declared dead at the scene.
Norm McInnis, the chief administrative officer of the City of Fernie, say that at approximately 4:00 a.m. on October 17, an alarm went off at the facility.
"In the hours that followed, a call was made to close the arena for emergency repairs and a specialist was called in to assist. What happened between 12:56 p.m. and when the 911 call was made, something went terribly wrong."
The City of Fernie will continue to work with WorkSafe B.C. and first responders for the investigation.
"We lost two important and vital members of our team yesterday and we've all been impacted," McInnis said. "CIMCO Refrigeration also lost a member of their team and we want to recognize that."
The victims are identified as two workers with the City of Fernie and a contractor from a Calgary-based refrigeration company.
Their identities have not been released.
The RCMP continue to hold the scene for their investigation.
