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
Former homicide detective explains how police will investigate shooting outside Drake's Bridle Path mansion
Footage from dozens of security cameras in the area of Drake’s Bridle Path mansion could be the key to identifying the suspect responsible for shooting and seriously injuring a security guard outside the rapper’s sprawling home early Tuesday morning, a former Toronto homicide detective says.
Federal government grants B.C.'s request to recriminalize hard drugs in public spaces
The federal government is granting British Columbia's request to recriminalize hard drugs in public spaces, nearly two weeks after the province asked to end its pilot project early over concerns of public drug use.
Stormy Daniels describes meeting Trump during occasionally graphic testimony in hush money trial
Stormy Daniels took the witness stand Tuesday at Donald Trump's hush money trial, describing for jurors a sexual encounter the porn actor says she had with him in 2006 that resulted in her being paid off to keep silent during the presidential race 10 years later.
MPs agree Canadian gov't should improve new disability benefit
The federal government needs to safeguard the incoming Canada Disability Benefit from clawbacks and do more to ensure it actually meets the stated aim of lifting people living with disabilities out of poverty, MPs from all parties agree.
Bye-bye bag fee: Calgary repeals single-use bylaw
A Calgary bylaw requiring businesses to charge a minimum bag fee and only provide single-use items when requested has officially been tossed.
CFL suspends Argos QB Chad Kelly at least nine games following investigation
The CFL suspended Toronto Argonauts quarterback Chad Kelly for at least nine regular-season games Tuesday following its investigation into a lawsuit filed by a former strength-and-conditioning coach against both the player and club.
Boy Scouts of America changing name for first time in 114 years, aiming for inclusivity
The Boy Scouts of America is changing its name for the first time in its 114-year history and will become Scouting America. It's a significant shift as the organization emerges from bankruptcy following a flood of sexual abuse claims and seeks to focus on inclusion.
opinion Tom Mulcair: Trudeau's handling of Poilievre's 'wacko' House turfing a clear sign of Liberal desperation
When Speaker Greg Fergus tossed out Pierre Poilievre from the House last week, "those of us who have experience as parliamentarians simply couldn't believe our eyes," writes former NDP leader Tom Mulcair in his column for CTVNews.ca
New charges for Ont. woman who previously admitted to defrauding doulas
The Brantford, Ont. woman who was previously sentenced to house arrest after admitting to deceiving doulas has been charged again in connection to a new victim.