By Troy Gillard/RD News NOW (Twitter: @Troy_Gillard)

UPDATE: One Killed in Bashaw Motor Inn Fire

Oct 11, 2016 | 5:51 AM

BASHAW — A body has now been recovered from the scene after fire destoyed the Bashaw Motor Inn over the long weekend.

An autopsy to determine the identity and cause of death has been scheduled for later this week. Three other people were previously taken to hospital following the fire, which broke out at around 1 a.m. on Sunday.

Mounties said their search of the scene was delayed by water pouring out of a broken water main, preventing them from recovering the body until Monday afternoon.

A cause of the blaze has yet to be determined, but RCMP said it is “considering this to be a crime scene until proven otherwise.”

The RCMP’s Major Crimes Unit and other RCMP support services have been brought in to help with the investigation.

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Three people were taken to hospital after an overnight fire destroyed a motel in Central Alberta.

Bashaw RCMP say they were called at about 1:15 a.m. after fire had broken out at the Bashaw Motor Inn.

Debbie Cline lives down the street from the motel. She says she was awake when she heard an explosion at around 1 a.m.

“The whole house shook. It was really intense,” says Cline, who shot some video of the fire about 15 minutes after hearing the explosion.

Mounties say the motel was occupied at the time and that three people were taken to hospital in serious condition. They are now looking into whether others may have also been inside when the fire occurred.

Fire crews worked throughout the night to extinguish the blaze. Officials say it will take at least a day to complete their investigation into what caused the fire, including whether it was deliberately set.

The Bashaw Motor Inn was located near the corner of Highway 53 and Highway 21, about an hour northeast of Red Deer.

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