2 injured, dozens displaced after fire in a North Vancouver apartment building

Two people were injured and about 70 displaced following a fire in a North Vancouver apartment building Tuesday morning.

Crews responded to a structure fire at 1959 Marine Drive around 4:30 a.m. PT, according to Mark Dear, assistant fire chief for the District of North Vancouver Fire and Rescue Services.

Josue Rocha, a resident of the building, said he woke up to fire alarms and rushed to get out of the building.

"When we came out of the building we saw three ambulances, fire workers," he said, adding hecould smell smoke, like plastic burning.

Resident ArazooHaghighat Maneshsaid the smoke smelt"very, very bad" and that she did not have time to take any essential items, like her purse, because of the rush to escape with her parents.

"I saw the elevators were dripping water ... and I thought:'Oh my God, what's happening here?'"saidHaghighat Manesh.

Two people were taken to hospital with injuries.

Haghighat Manesh said police on the scene sent all residents to the nearby Lions Gate Community Recreation Centre.

The cause of the fire is currently unknown. However, Brian Hutchinson, District of North Vancouver fire chief, confirmed in a statement that the cause was not considered suspicious.

The district said in a statement that 26 homes in the apartment block have been assessed as "non-habitable", with other residents being told they can return to their homes as of Tuesday afternoon.

The North Shore Emergency Managementand Squamish Nation were working together to support displaced residents, Dear said.