(Montreal) The search resumed Tuesday morning to find the two people who disappeared last Saturday in Rivière-Éternité, Saguenay, when they were probably swept away by a landslide. It would be a woman and a man, who have not yet been identified by the Sûreté du Québec (SQ).
Another man who was also reportedly hit by the landslide was rescued and taken to hospital.
Since the beginning of the search to locate the two missing people, the authorities have used helicopters and have called in nautical teams, several walkers and members of the Quebec Association of Search and Rescue Volunteers.
The search was to remain focused on Tuesday on the bed and banks of the small, very winding river, over a stretch of about 1.8 kilometers, before it empties into the Saguenay River.
The SQ reports that the excavations are slowed down by the numerous debris that have been left on the banks by the landslide. The heat that envelops the region also hinders the work of the research teams, which must be supplied by helicopters.
Divers from the Sûreté du Québec must again probe the seabed on Tuesday, when the flow of the river is much higher than usual.
On Sunday, the SQ had to evacuate by helicopter 94 people who were staying at the campsite of the Society of Outdoor Establishments of Quebec (SEPAQ), in the Parc du Fjord-du-Saguenay, after they were isolated by the collapse of rue Notre-Dame. In addition, 133 other vacationers had been evacuated by sea shuttle to the borough of La Baie, in Saguenay.
In the municipality of Rivière-Éternité, 48 adults and six children living in 34 residences had to be evacuated to be relocated to a hotel or to relatives. The mayor, Rémi Gagné, warned Monday that no deadline was yet set for their reinstatement.
The floods also washed away a portion of Route 170 which crosses the municipality. Extensive emergency work was still underway on Tuesday to repair the damage.
According to Environment Canada, Rivière-Éternité received 130 millimeters of rain in two hours on Saturday.