Fire in Old Montreal: No remains were found on Monday
The roof of the building collapsed in the fire, as well as the interior floors.
No new victims was extricated Monday from the rubble of the building that burned down in Old Montreal.
To date, one body has been found dead in the rubble of the burnt building, while six people are still missing. The body found is that of a woman, authorities said Monday morning, without saying more. CBC/Radio-Canada has identified four of the missing persons.
The investigation promises to be “extremely difficult”, also warned the police chief of Montreal, Fady Dagher, Monday noon, explaining that the three floors had collapsed in on themselves.
Moreover, the SPVM and the SIM still could not enter the building due to the inherent risks on Tuesday.
Further verifications have led us to withdraw the citations of #x27;a witness who appeared in an earlier version of this article.
Rescuers will have to rely on cranes, bucket trucks, poles and cameras to search the rubble.
Like the day before, rescuers will have to rely on cranes, trucks pods, poles and cameras to search the rubble, explained police inspector David Shane during a press briefing organized by the authorities at the start of the day.
“From the roof to the lower floors, it collapsed into a wallet. There are places where floors are stacked on top of each other.
— David Shane, SPVM inspector
Pathologists from the Laboratory of Forensic Sciences and Forensic Medicine are also on the ground. They will try to recover the bodies of the victims according to scientific protocols, with the necessary respect and dignity, while preserving the integrity of the scene, explained Tuesday its director, Suzanne Marchand.
In this case, the fact that the SPVM has already been able to identify seven missing persons will help in the identification of the victims, in particular for the comparisons of DNA and dental records, a she added.
Coroner Géhane Kamel will also look into the circumstances that led to the deaths caused by the fire. My main goal is to provide answers to families and possibly recommendations, she said on Tuesday.
For the past few days, testimonies reported in the media have questioned compliance with safety standards in this heritage building in Old Montreal.
Robert Lacas notably told the press that his granddaughter and her boyfriend called the police at the height of the fire, saying that they could not not leave the apartment they had rented, because there [was] no window.
There was no fire alarm, no sound, no word, also said Alina Kuzmina, a visiting Ontarian who narrowly escaped the flames with her partner. We were awakened by smoke and the sound of fire. My husband grabbed a boot, smashed the window, and that's how we managed to get out.
In addition, Radio-Canada got hold of the photos of a windowless apartment in the building that burned down last Thursday. Only a skylight had been installed in the apartment in question.
The owner of the building has not come forward publicly since the ;fire. His lawyer, Alexandre Bergevin, however pleaded on ICI RDI on Monday that his client had met with the investigators and that he had provided a statement and plans of the establishment.
Meanwhile, the debate continues regarding the regulatory framework for short-term Airbnb-type housing rentals, which are normally prohibited in Old Montreal.
Pointed out for its inaction, the CAQ government of François Legault announced on Monday that it intended to modify the law “soon” – an initiative that will receive the support of the Liberal Party and Quebec solidaire, the two opposition parties said on Tuesday.
Finally finally, finally, it's been so long that we need to better regulate Airbnb in Quebec, reacted the co-spokesperson for Québec solidaire, Gabriel Nadeau-Dubois, during a press briefing at the National Assembly on Tuesday, recalling QS's requests in this direction since 2017. We've known for a long time that a problem with Airbnb, we've known for a long time that the solution is to force the company to comply with the law on its website.
“Why does it always take tragedies for governments to stand up to multinational corporations? I don't understand. This is not acceptable. »
— Gabriel Nadeau-Dubois, co-spokesperson for Québec solidaire
QS has also announced its intention to table a motion for the Minister of Tourism of Quebec, Caroline Proulx, to commit to reviewing the law before the end of the parliamentary session in June 2023.
Quebec Minister of Tourism, Caroline Proulx, visited the scene of the tragedy that occurred Thursday in the Old Montreal. (File photo)
Ms. Proulx defended herself in an improvised press scrum in the corridors of the National Assembly. We introduced a bill. Regulations are in effect. Are there any regulatory changes we could make? The answer is: "very certainly".
As for the timetable, she mentioned that her wish was to succeed in reviewing the law of ;here the end of the parliamentary session.
With information from Marie-Isabelle Rochon and The Canadian Press
