Two people in hospital after building collapse in Montreal North

FILE PHOTO (Daniel J. Rowe/CTV News Montreal)

Update: One man was killed by tjhe collapse. Read the updated version here. 

Montreal firefighters pulled two people from a collapsed building in Montreal North Saturday.

Occupants of 10 apartments were evacuated. Firefighters say it's unclear if there was anyone else in the building, located at Rolland Blvd. and Pascal St., at the time of the collapse.

Authorities got the call shortly before 4 p.m., and the rescue operation was still in progress well into the evening. 

The two people who were rescued were sent to hospital. They were conscious when taken from the scene.

The cause of the collapse is unclear, authorities say. Montreal firefighters told CTV there was a fire in the three-storey building within the last two years, and renovation work was underway.

The building is mixed-use, with businesses occupying the first floor, and apartments on the upper two levels.

"We have an engineer on the site, we’re stabilizing the building," said Fire Division Chief Marie-Eve Beausoleil.

Firefighters spent the evening fastening jack poles to the front part of the building, where the collapse occured. Until the building is safe to enter, authorities say their ability to search is limited. 

Police were also on site to control traffic. Since the cause of the collapse is still a mystery, police are not investigating the event as criminal. 

A police spokesperson said they are standing by in case firefighters ask for their assistance.