6 missing after Old Montreal fire 'probably still in the rubble': Police
Officials are still looking for victims after a fire ripped through a building in Old Montreal last week, killing at least one person.
At a press conference Monday morning, spokespersons for the Montreal police (SPVM) and Montreal fire department (SIM) said six people are still missing. They come from various locations in Quebec, Ontario and the U.S.
"These people still missing are probably still in the rubble, unfortunately," said SPVM inspector David Shane.
Rescuers extracted one body from the building around 6:45 p.m. on Sunday. Officials could not confirm the victim's identity Monday morning but revealed she was a woman.
Police also confirmed that two of the nine people transported to hospital last week remain in the burn unit at the Centre hospitalier de l'Université de Montréal.
Dismantlement of the building's second and third floors will begin on Monday.
Shane said the operation is relatively slow-going because of safety hazards.
"The work is hard and will continue for many days," he said.
"Our hearts go out to the families and we will never give up."
LISTEN ON CJAD 800 RADIO: How do firefighters tackle a fire like the one in Old Montreal?
Investigators survey the scene following a fire in Old Montreal, Sunday, March 19, 2023, that gutted a heritage building. Several people are still unaccounted for. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Graham Hughes
UNAUTHORIZED AIRBNBS
In the wake of the fire on Thursday, officials initially believed only one person was missing -- but later learned that several units in the building were short-term rentals, or Airbnbs, making occupants difficult to track.
The city has since confirmed Airbnbs are illegal in the area where the building is located.
A lawyer for the building's owner said Sunday that Airbnbs in the building were being operated by tenants, adding that steps had been taken to stop the practice.
Speaking at another press conference Monday, Montreal Mayor Valerie Plante acknowledged the issue of illegal Airbnbs in the city.
She said part of the problem is a lack of inspectors, adding that an inspection into an illegal short-term rental is only triggered when a complaint is lodged.
The solution will require collaboration between Montreal, Quebec, and especially Airbnb, Plante said, claiming the latter need to do more to ensure its users comply with the law.
"To do more is definitely on the table," she said.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Quebec nurse had to clean up after husband's death in Montreal hospital
On a night she should have been mourning, a nurse from Quebec's Laurentians region says she was forced to clean up her husband after he died at a hospital in Montreal.
Northern Ont. lawyer who abandoned clients in child protection cases disbarred
A North Bay, Ont., lawyer who abandoned 15 clients – many of them child protection cases – has lost his licence to practise law.
Bank of Canada officials split on when to start cutting interest rates
Members of the Bank of Canada's governing council were split on how long the central bank should wait before it starts cutting interest rates when they met earlier this month.
Maple Leafs fall to Bruins in Game 3, trail series 2-1
Brad Marchand scored twice, including the winner in the third period, and added an assist as the Boston Bruins downed the Toronto Maple Leafs 4-2 to take a 2-1 lead in their first-round playoff series Wednesday
Cuban government apologizes to Montreal-area family after delivering wrong body
Cuba's foreign affairs minister has apologized to a Montreal-area family after they were sent the wrong body following the death of a loved one.
'It was instant karma': Viral video captures failed theft attempt in Nanaimo, B.C.
Mounties in Nanaimo, B.C., say two late-night revellers are lucky their allegedly drunken antics weren't reported to police after security cameras captured the men trying to steal a heavy sign from a downtown business.
What is changing about Canada's capital gains tax and how does it impact me?
The federal government's proposed change to capital gains taxation is expected to increase taxes on investments and mainly affect wealthy Canadians and businesses. Here's what you need to know about the move.
New Indigenous loan guarantee program a 'really big deal,' Freeland says at Toronto conference
Canada's Deputy Prime Minister Chrystia Freeland was among the 1,700 delegates attending the two-day First Nations Major Projects Coalition (FNMPC) conference that concluded Tuesday in Toronto.
'Life was not fair to him': Daughter of N.B. man exonerated of murder remembers him as a kind soul
The daughter of a New Brunswick man recently exonerated from murder, is remembering her father as somebody who, despite a wrongful conviction, never became bitter or angry.