Montreal police formally confirmed on Tuesday the identity of the sixth and seventh victims of the fire that occurred in a building in Place D’Youville on March 16. They are Charlie Lacroix and Walid Belkahla, both 18 years old. The investigation will now focus on the causes behind this tragic event.
These last two identities have indeed been confirmed in the last hours by the Laboratory of Forensic Sciences and Forensic Medicine (LSJML).
PHOTO LOUIS-PHILIPPE LACROIX, SUPPLIED BY THE CANADIAN PRESS
Charlie Lacroix
“Yesterday, at the end of the day with the help of dog handlers, we confirmed that there were no more victims in the rubble,” said Tuesday the head of the division of the Montreal Fire Safety Service (SIM ), Martin Guilbault, in a press briefing.
Thus, the “most important part of our research, the search for victims, is now complete”, he continued, adding that the focus will now be on researching the causes of the fire, which remain still undetermined so far.
Authorities also confirmed on Tuesday that 22 people were in the building when the fire broke out. Of these, six escaped unharmed, nine were injured and taken to hospital, and seven died.
In total, SIM firefighters carried out six rescues, including four by portable ladder and two by aerial ladder. David Shane, SPVM inspector and spokesperson for the Montreal police force, confirmed that Tuesday’s press briefing will be the last. “The investigation will continue,” he promised, however, reiterating his deepest condolences to the families bereaved by the fire.
All hypotheses analyzed
For the moment, the Montreal police refuses to advance on the causes behind the event. “All the hypotheses are analyzed, but for reasons of confidentiality, we cannot share more information with you”, he justified himself in front of the representatives of the media.
Recall that two other bodies, the sixth and seventh, had been extirpated earlier this week, Monday, from the rubble of the burned building. On the same day, police and firefighters responsible for the search also confirmed the identities of four of the victims whose remains were discovered in the ruins over the past few days.
The four victims identified on Monday are An Wu, 31, Dania Zafar, 31, Saniya Khan, 31, and Nathan Sears, 35. A first victim, Camille Maheux, 76, was identified last week. According to our information, Mr.me Maheux, a professional photographer, was the only victim who had been a permanent resident of the building for more than 30 years.
The mayoress of Montreal, Valérie Plante, once again offered her “deepest condolences” on Tuesday to the families and loved ones of the seven victims whose identity is now confirmed. “Montréal is with you in this event. I would also like to thank the SPVM and [Service de sécurité incendie] for their work,” she tweeted.