Police identify last two victims of Old Montreal fire, both 18 years old
Montreal police say they have identified two more bodies found in the rubble of a fire in Old Montreal 12 days ago.
Charlie Lacroix and Walid Belkahla, both 18, are the sixth and seventh victims of the fire.
Both were extracted from the rubble on Monday and taken to a pathologist for identification.
Five victims had already been identified.
They are 31-year-old neuroscientist An Wu, childhood friends Dania Zafar and Saniya Khan, both 31 years old, 35-year-old Nathan Sears, who had a Ph.D. in political science from the University of Toronto and Camille Maheux, 76, a renowned Montreal photographer.
"Out of respect for the families and loved ones. We will not provide further details on the origins of the victims and the circumstances surrounding their deaths," said Insp. David Shane on Tuesday during what he said would be the last news conference related to the fire at Place D'Youville.
Police say the search for victims is now over.
With the help of search dogs, fire department chief Martin Guilbault says they have concluded there are no more bodies in the rubble.
Guilbault says 22 people were inside the building when the fire broke out. Six people escaped unharmed, nine were injured, and seven died.
"During the fire, the SIM [Service de sécurité incendie de Montréal] rescued four people by portable ladder and two people by aerial ladder. One person also managed to escape from jumping from a window," said Guilbault.
The focus now shifts to determining the cause of the fire, which officials have yet to speculate publicly on.
Montreal police, firefighters and the coroner in charge of the investigation will work closely together to find answers, said Insp. Shane.
"If there is any wrongdoing in this case, there will be consequences," he said. "We will be here for as long as is needed to not leave any stone unturned."
Those killed in the fire included a long-term resident of the heritage building as well as people who had booked accommodation on short-term rental sites such as Airbnb, which are illegal in Old Montreal.
The tragedy prompted the short-term rental platform to announce last week that it would pull listings in Quebec that don't have a permit from the provincial government.
Lacroix, who was visiting the city from the suburb of Terrebonne, Que., was one of those who had rented accommodation in the building on a short-term rental site.
Her father has said she was in an apartment with a friend and called 911 twice as the fire spread through the building, unable to escape because the unit had no window.
A report by a Montreal tenants' rights association says 79 per cent of the roughly 30,000 units in Quebec that were available for rent in February on Airbnb were not certified by the province.
With files from The Canadian Press and CTV's Joe Lofaro
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
'A step forward': New screening criteria for sperm donors takes effect
Canadians looking to grow their families with the assistance of sperm or egg donations should soon have more options for donors as the federal health agency does away with longstanding restrictions criticized as discriminatory.
Ontario Provincial Police arrest 64 suspects in child sexual exploitation investigation
Ontario Provincial Police say 64 suspects are facing a combined 348 charges in connection with a series of child sexual exploitation investigations that spanned the province.
U.S. presidential candidate RFK Jr. had a brain worm, has recovered, campaign says
Independent U.S. presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. had a parasite in his head more than a decade ago, but has fully recovered, his campaign said, after the New York Times reported about the ailment.
What is whooping cough and should Canadians be concerned as Europe declares outbreak?
There is currently a whooping cough epidemic in Europe, with 10 times as many cases compared to the previous two years. While an outbreak has not been declared nationwide in Canada, whooping cough is regularly detected in the country.
Pfizer agrees to settle more than 10K lawsuits over Zantac cancer risk: Bloomberg News
Pfizer has agreed to settle more than 10,000 lawsuits about cancer risks related to the now discontinued heartburn drug Zantac, Bloomberg News reported on Wednesday, citing people familiar with the deal.
Case against ex-Mountie charged with helping China can go ahead in Quebec, judge says
A Quebec court judge has ruled that the case against a former RCMP officer charged with helping China conduct foreign interference can go ahead in the province.
Steve Albini, legendary producer for Nirvana, the Pixies and an alternative rock pioneer, dies at 61
Steve Albini, an alternative rock pioneer and legendary producer who shaped the musical landscape through his work with Nirvana, the Pixies, PJ Harvey and more, has died. He was 61.
Ippei Mizuhara, ex-interpreter for baseball star Shohei Ohtani, will plead guilty in betting case
The former interpreter for Los Angeles Dodgers star Shohei Ohtani has agreed to plead guilty to bank and tax fraud in a sports betting case in which prosecutors allege he stole nearly US$17 million from the Japanese baseball player to pay off debts, federal prosecutors said Wednesday.
Watch fighter jet pilots pummel fake enemy ship off coast of Philippines
The United States and Philippines held annual joint-training drills just off the Southeast Asian nation’s western coast on Wednesday. Military forces sunk a 'mock' enemy warship – the BRP Lake Caliraya, which was a decommissioned tanker made in China.