Historic Jewish cemetery closed by propane explosion
Last Updated: Monday, August 11, 2008 | 2:48 PM ET
CBC News
The propane explosion in Toronto on Sunday caused violent damage to one of the city's oldest Jewish cemeteries.
Mount Sinai Memorial Park, north of Wilson Avenue near Keele Street, borders the site of the explosion.
The cemetery has been closed until further notice while officials and police survey the damage.
At least 20 headstones were damaged or destroyed by the shock of the explosion and by large pieces of metal blown into the cemetery.
Phil Grenfell, the manager of Mount Sinai, said Jewish funerals and unveilings and other scheduled ceremonies will have to be delayed until the site is deemed safe enough to reopen.
The cemetery opened in 1920 and has 11,000 graves.
Sunday's massive blast at a propane depot in northern Toronto forced thousands of people to evacuate their homes and caused the closing of a 16-kilometre stretch of Highway 401, Canada's busiest roadway.
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