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
Canadian gov't proposes new foreign influence registry as part of wide-spanning new bill
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's government is proposing a suite of new measures and law changes aimed at countering foreign interference in Canada, amid extensive scrutiny over past meddling attempts and an ever-evolving threat landscape.
Boeing Starliner capsule's first crewed test flight postponed
The long-awaited first crewed test flight of Boeing's new Starliner space capsule was called off for at least 24 hours over a technical issue that launch teams were unable to resolve in time for the planned Monday night lift-off.
Teacher charged in historical sexual assault of Calgary teenage girl
Calgary police have charged a teacher with the alleged sexual assault of a teenage girl more than 20 years ago.
Winnipeg man admits to killing four women, argues he's not criminally responsible
Defence lawyers of Jeremy Skibicki have admitted in court the accused killed four Indigenous women, but argues he is not criminally responsible for the deaths by way of mental disorder – this latest development has triggered a judge-alone trial rather than a jury trial.
Man banned from owning animals after fatal Calgary dog attack
The owner of three Calgary dogs that got loose and mauled a woman to death in 2022 has been ordered to pay a $15,000 fine within one year and banned from owning any animal for 15 years.
East-end Ottawa family dealing with massive rat infestation
Residents in Ottawa’s Elmridge Gardens complex are dealing with a rat infestation that just won’t go away. Now, after doing everything they can to try to fix the issue, they are pleading with the city to step in and help.
Mediterranean staple may lower your risk of death from dementia, study finds
A daily spoonful of olive oil could lower your risk of dying from dementia, according to a new study by Harvard scientists.
An El Nino-less summer is coming. Here's what that could mean for Canada
As Canadians brace themselves for summer temperatures, forecasters say a weakening El Nino cycle doesn’t mean relief from the heat.
Newfoundland and Labrador latest province to tighten rules on Airbnbs
Newfoundland and Labrador is the latest jurisdiction to bring in stricter rules for short-term rentals, with a coming set of regulations that will force operators to register with the provincial government.