Two armed suspects are dead and six police officers were shot at a bank in British Columbia in Canada, during an incident that also prompted the evacuation of nearby homes over a possible explosive device, police said on Tuesday.

"This remains an ongoing police incident with a heavy police presence in the area," according to a statement Saanich, British Columbia, police posted on their website.

"Homes and businesses in close proximity to the scene of the incident have been evacuated due to the presence of a potential explosive device in a vehicle associated to the suspects."

Six officers were hospitalized, the statement said.

"We anticipate that some officers will be released following emergency treatment, whereas other officers sustained serious injuries and have been taken into surgery," it said.

Saanich, on Vancouver Island, is located in the south west of Canada close to the border with the U.S. state of Washington.

(Writing by Costas Pitas; Editing by Eric Beech and Tim Ahmann)