The SPVM confirmed on Saturday the identity of the mother and her daughter who lost their lives in the arson of a building in Old Montreal. In total, 25 people were present in the building.
Léonor Geraudie, 43, and her daughter, Vérane Reynaud-Geraudie, 7, were swept away by the blaze that raged in a building in Old Montreal, during the night from Thursday to Friday. They are originally from France.
“Our investigators are in contact with the family in France and their loved ones, and they continue to work to reconstruct the event,” declared Inspector David Shane, responsible for communications at the Service de police de la Ville de Montréal (SPVM). , in a press briefing, Saturday afternoon.
“I want, on behalf of the Government of Quebec, to offer my sympathies and thoughts to the family, and also to offer my support to the firefighters and police officers who are working extremely hard,” François Bonnardel declared in the middle of the day.
A total of 23 other people were in the building at the time of the fire, including two who were injured. One of them is still receiving treatment in a hospital center, the SPVM said at a press briefing on Saturday afternoon.
For the moment, there is no indication that there are additional victims, but the SPVM cannot be “100%” sure and is currently carrying out checks to ensure that no one is missing.
The fire broke out during the night from Thursday to Friday in a heritage building located at the intersection of Notre-Dame and Bonsecours streets. The building notably housed a youth hostel with 19 rooms on the upper floors, where several visitors reported having stayed in rooms without windows.
PHOTO ALAIN ROBERGE, LA PRESSE ARCHIVES
The building was fully compliant and met the requirements relating to fire safety, confirmed Martin Guilbault, division head of the Montreal Fire Safety Service.
The fire was brought under control between 2 a.m. and 3 a.m. Saturday. The last firefighters present on the scene left at the beginning of the afternoon. A large security perimeter was still in place a few hours later, blocking access to the damaged building.
Security
The building was fully compliant and met the requirements relating to fire safety, confirmed Martin Guilbault, division head of the Montreal Fire Safety Service (SIM), also present at the press conference.
“I would like to remind you that in terms of fire safety, a window is not considered a means of egress,” explained Mr. Guilbault.
The SIM also obtained confirmation on September 10 from responsible professionals that sprinklers were not required for this building.
Émile Benamor, owner of the building, is also the owner of the Old Montreal building which was hit by an arson on March 7, 2023. In this fire, seven people lost their lives in the flames.
On Saturday, the SIM confirmed that all of Mr. Benamor’s buildings had been visited to verify their compliance. And they respected all the standards, “with the exception of a very minimal part, which is a building adjacent to the burned building,” specified Martin Guilbault.
PHOTO EDOUARD PLANTE-FRÉCHETTE, LA PRESSE ARCHIVES
The owner of the burned building, Émile Benamor
“It is with amazement that we learned of the tragic death of certain people or their disappearance,” responded Émile Benamor in a written statement on Saturday. Any information that could allow the arrest of suspects or to understand the cause of this criminal act must be shared with the police authorities in order to avoid a repeat offense,” he continued.
Public inquiry
The arson that occurred on Friday could be the subject of a public inquiry, said the Minister of Public Security, François Bonnardel. He mentioned the possibility of merging the investigation with that into the fatal fire at Place d’Youville which occurred in March 2023.
PHOTO JOSIE DESMARAIS, THE PRESS
The Minister of Public Security, François Bonnardel (right)
“We will see how we could combine these two unfortunate events, these two tragedies in the same investigation so that we are able to accelerate the process,” declared the minister, who was accompanied by the head of public security at the City of Montreal, Alain Vaillancourt.
No details regarding the cause of the fire were revealed by the SPVM so as not to harm the investigation. According to our information, the tragedy could be the most recent episode in a war between three criminal groups.
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Surveillance camera footage shows a masked suspect dressed in black approaching the building just before the flames appeared. An incendiary device was allegedly used.
With The Canadian Press