The body of a victim was recovered from the rubble of a heritage building in Old Montreal that was ravaged by fire on Thursday, while six other people remain missing, officials said at a press conference Sunday evening .
This is the first confirmed death since the fire that ravaged the 15-unit three-storey residential building located at the intersection of Place d’Youville and Saint-Nicolas Street.
Montreal police arson squad commander Steve Belzil said the victim’s body was pulled from the rubble at 6:45 p.m. local time.
“The steps to identify this victim will be taken by our partners in the forensic scientific laboratory,” he said.
No other details about the victim, including her gender or where she was in the building, have been released.
One person’s body was found in the rubble of an Old Montreal building that was destroyed by fire last week while six people remain missing, police said. Officials say several units in the building were being used illegally as Airbnbs.
Demolition crews began dismantling the top two floors of the building on Sunday. Firefighters have not yet been able to safely enter the building.
According to the police, it is still too early to determine the cause of the fire.
“Our goal is for the investigation to move forward in order to provide answers to the families involved,” Belzil said.