(Montreal) A second crane will be used to speed up the search through the rubble of the building that was engulfed in flames exactly a week ago in Old Montreal, where at least three people are still missing.
During their daily press briefing on Thursday morning, the fire and police authorities assured that the search teams remain highly motivated to provide answers to the families, even if the operations are complex due to the state of the devastated building. .
Wednesday evening, two other bodies were extricated from the rubble, bringing the total to four since the search began.
These discoveries came hours after the identity of a first victim was confirmed. This is Camille Maheux, 76, whose body was found last Sunday.
The arrival of a second crane will allow the teams “to move forward a little more quickly in the work,” explained the division chief of the Montreal Fire Safety Service, Martin Guilbault, Thursday morning.
PHOTO PATRICK SANFAÇON, THE PRESS
Martin Guilbault, Division Chief of the Montreal Fire Department, and Inspector David Shane of the SPVM.
He recalled that, until now, all research is done from a nacelle attached to a crane, since the state of the building does not allow workers to walk inside. Cameras, a drone and other tools are also used in these “manually” searches.
For his part, Inspector David Shane, of the Service de police de la Ville de Montréal (SPVM), reiterated that there could be people in the building whose disappearance has not been reported to the police force, such as tourists who resided in temporary accommodation or socially isolated people.
In total, the SPVM contacted the families of seven people missing following the fire in this building located at the intersection of rue du Port and Place d’Youville. These people came from Quebec, Ontario and the United States.
The police investigation continues to identify the cause of this fire.