Police say it's 'improbable' there are more than seven missing in Old Montreal fire
Montreal police said Friday they didn't think they would find more than seven bodies in the rubble of an Old Montreal building that caught fire eight days ago.
Searchers had left open the possibility that unaccounted for tourists or isolated people without family could still be in the burnt-out structure. But Insp. David Shane said police hadn't received more reports of people missing, adding that it's "improbable" there were more than seven victims.
"It's always a possibility that we find somebody else, but what we wanted to share with you in total transparency is that we have no information indicating that there could be somebody else," Shane told reporters.
"It's not impossible, but we feel that it's improbable at this point."
Searchers have pulled four bodies from the rubble, and only one victim has been identified: 76-year-old Camille Maheux, a renowned photographer whose relatives said had lived in the building for 30 years.
Shane said officials were working to identify the other three bodies; three other people reported missing are likely still in the charred remains of the building.
Martin Guilbault, a fire operations chief, said the deployment of a second crane to the site on Thursday allowed officials to remove several large steel beams and pieces of roof. "All that work will allow us to further explore the building in order to continue the search for the victims," Guilbault said.
"Responders continued their search to the best of their abilities, working furiously from sunrise to sunset."
Authorities have said that the building, built in 1890, was hosting illegal short-term rentals with Airbnb, a San Francisco-based online marketplace.
In 2018, Airbnb-style short-term rentals were made illegal in the historic neighbourhood where the building that caught fire is located.
On Friday, Airbnb announced it would pull listings that did not have a permit from the provincial agency that oversees tourism accommodation. Politicians in Quebec had criticized Airbnb for not enforcing the permit issue and allowing illegal rentals to flourish.
The others reported missing include An Wu, 31, a neuroscientist doing post-doctoral work at the University of California San Diego, who was in Montreal for a conference. Also missing are Dania Zafar, 31, of Toronto, and her childhood friend Saniya Khan, 31, of Detroit. The pair were staying in the building during a brief holiday in the city, Zafar's father has said.
Charlie Lacroix, an 18-year-old from the Montreal suburb of Terrebonne, is also missing. She had rented a unit in the building on Airbnb with a friend, and Lacroix's father said his daughter told 911 operators that she was trapped in a unit with no fire escape or windows.
The cause of the fire remains under investigation.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published March 24, 2023.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
![](https://www.ctvnews.ca/polopoly_fs/1.6976926.1721883767!/httpImage/image.png_gen/derivatives/landscape_800/image.png)
DEVELOPING Jasper wildfire burns buildings, while poor air quality forces some fire crews out
A fast-moving wildfire has hit Jasper, Alberta, destroying buildings and chasing some wildland firefighters away with dangerously poor air quality.
Jasper mayor says alert system to be reviewed after message 'glitch'
More than 25,000 people have been displaced from Jasper National Park since wildfires started to threaten the picturesque corner of Alberta Rockies on Monday, but the mayor of its namesake municipality says not everyone received an evacuation alert when it was sent out.
Norad intercepts Russian and Chinese bombers operating together near Alaska in apparent first
The North American Aerospace Defence Command (Norad) intercepted two Russian and two Chinese bombers flying near Alaska Wednesday in what appears to be the first time the two countries have been intercepted while operating together.
Biden explains why he ended re-election bid in Oval Office address
U.S. President Joe Biden on Wednesday delivered a solemn call to voters to defend the country's democracy as he laid out in an Oval Office address his decision to drop his bid for reelection and throw his support behind Vice President Kamala Harris.
Barrie-Innisfil MPP 'blacked-out' and crashed car into window of child care centre
Staff at a Barrie child care centre say they are frustrated by what they call a local MPP's inadequate response after a car crashed through a window in one of the toddler rooms.
Alberta calls in army to assist with wildfire situation
Alberta has called in the Canadian Armed Forces to help assist with the worsening wildfire situation in the province.
2 Canadians being 'sent home immediately,' removed from Olympic team after drone incident
An analyst and an assistant coach with Canada Soccer are being removed from the Canadian Olympic Team and 'sent home immediately,' according to the Canadian Olympic Committee.
An unwelcome attendee has joined the Paris Olympic Games: COVID-19
After a handful of Australian water polo players tested positive for COVID-19 this week, questions have emerged around how the spread of the disease will be mitigated at the Summer Olympic Games in Paris.
Vacations, meals, booze: Contractor used $100K of charity's money for personal expenses, B.C. court finds
A B.C. man who was hired to help a non-profit build a food hub but instead spent the money on personal expenses – including travel, restaurants, booze and cannabis – has been ordered to pay more than $120,000 in damages.