Second body recovered from Old Montreal building destroyed by fire
Montreal police confirmed Tuesday evening that a second body has been recovered from the building in Old Montreal that was destroyed by a fire last week.
The fire department's technical rescue unit found the victim while searching the building using a crane.
The body has been taken to a forensic lab to be identified.
More details are expected Wednesday at 8 a.m. when fire and police officials hold a news conference.
Five people are still missing.
A woman's body was extracted on Sunday. She has yet to be identified.
"It will be a long process and we will not be able to give names very fast, but we cannot make a mistake," said Montreal police (SPVM) inspector David Shane.
Victims will need to be identified through at least one scientific method, such as dental records or DNA.
Speaking at a press briefing early Tuesday, Shane said the building is still too dangerous for rescuers to enter on foot.
Technicians used cameras Monday to analyze the structure's interior and determine the safest way forward, as well as search for potential victims.
"The work allowed us to confirm the instability of the building as well as the work plan we will we implement today," said fire operations chief Martin Guilbault.
Officials said rescuers will enter the building on Tuesday via crane to search the premises further.
"No one's going to march or go inside the building," Guilbault explained. "Failure is not an option. So we have to take our time to make sure we do the right thing."
Rescuers use cranes on March 21, 2023 to search for bodies in the wreckage of a fire in Old Montreal last week that left one dead and six missing. (CTV Montreal/Matt Gilmour)
The recovery efforts are agonizing for friends and family desperate for answers, who also say there’s a critical lack of communication.
"They ask me lots of things, but once I try to ask them anything about what's happening, like for example why they are so sure only six people are missing, the only answer I get is, 'Oh, it’s under investigation,'" said Yuken Zeng, a friend of one of the missing people, An Wu. Zeng flew to Montreal on Monday looking for answers about his friend.
Police now have access to the building's floor plan and are searching the areas they believe are most likely where the remaining victims may be.
Shane said several floors of the building collapsed on each other, leaving a scene of "complete devastation."
"They're all piled up so then you've got to remove all the rubble and then extract. So this is a glimpse of what our firemen and police are facing," he said.
Police say this a broad investigation and they aren't ruling anything out.
So far, no charges have been laid. Investigators are still working to determine the cause of the fire and whether negligence played a role.
Géhane Kamel, the coroner in charge of the investigation, was also on site to address the press.
"The main objective of my role is to provide answers to families and possibly issue recommendations," she said.
Once potential victims are found and extracted, pathologists will confirm their identities using DNA samples.
The people missing are from Quebec, Ontario and the U.S.
With files form CTV News Montreal's Joe Lofaro and The Canadian Press
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Most of Canada to receive emergency alert test today
The federal government will test its capacity to issue emergency alerts today, with the exception of Ontario, where the test will take place on May 15.
'A huge difference': These adults born in the '90s partnered with their parents to buy homes in Ontario
An Ontario woman said it would have been impossible to buy a house without her mother – an anecdote that animates the fact that over 17 per cent of Canadian homeowners born in the ‘90s own their property with their parents, according to a new report.
OPINION No reunion between Prince Harry and the King signifies a setback for royal unity
Prince Harry, the Duke of Sussex, has made headlines with his recent arrival in the U.K., this time to celebrate all things Invictus. But upon the prince landing in the U.K., we have already had confirmation that King Charles III won't have time to see his youngest son during his brief visit.
Northern Ont. woman makes 'eggstraordinary' find
A chicken farmer near Mattawa made an 'eggstraordinary' find Friday morning when she discovered one of her hens laid an egg close to three times the size of an average large chicken egg.
How Drake and Kendrick Lamar's rap beef escalated within weeks
A long-simmering feud between hip-hop superstars Drake and Kendrick Lamar reached a boiling point in recent days as the pair traded increasingly personal insults on a succession of diss tracks. Here’s a quick overview of what’s behind the ongoing beef.
NEW For their protection, immigrants critical of China and India call for speedy passage of Canada's foreign interference legislation
Canadian immigrants threatened by hostile regimes are urging parliamentarians to quickly pass the 'Countering Foreign Interference Act' so they can feel safe living in their adopted home.
Ontario man devastated to learn $150,000 line of credit isn't insured after wife dies
An Ontario man found out that a line of credit he thought was insured actually isn't after his wife of 50 years died.
Spanish prosecutors recommend 2nd investigation into Shakira's taxes be thrown out
Spanish state prosecutors recommended Wednesday that an investigating judge shelve a probe into another alleged case of tax fraud by pop star Shakira.
Stormy Daniels describes meeting Trump during occasionally graphic testimony in hush money trial
With Donald Trump sitting just feet away, Stormy Daniels testified Tuesday at the former president's hush money trial about a sexual encounter the porn actor says they had in 2006 that resulted in her being paid to keep silent during the presidential race 10 years later.