One dead, seven injured as five-alarm fire sweeps through Montreal apartment building

By Canadian Press

MONTREAL — One person was found dead and seven were taken to hospital after a five-alarm fire swept through a low-income seniors housing complex in Montreal Sunday morning.

Antoine Ortuso of the Urgences-Sante ambulance service said the death was declared at the scene, but the cause had not yet been established.

He says seven people were taken to hospital for smoke inhalation and other medical problems while five more were treated at the site. 

Urgences-Sante said it received a call at about 9:20 a.m. and sent five ambulances to the building southwest of the downtown core.

The address of the building is listed on a Montreal government website as a 105-unit building that houses low-income seniors. 

Premier Francois Legault tweeted his condolences to the family of the victim, and added that the ministers in charge of seniors and of housing would work to find new homes for the residents.

Dominique Anglade, the head of the provincial Liberal party and legislature member for the riding, also expressed sadness at the event.

“This morning, a person died in the fire that raged in my riding,” she wrote on Twitter.

“My condolences to the loved ones but also to the residents who are especially shaken by what is happening.”

The fire department first tweeted about the blaze shortly after 9 a.m., asking people to avoid the area.

Images from the scene showed firefighters using ladders to evacuate the residents from their balconies as smoke rose from the building.

Firefighters posted again about three hours after the initial message to say the fire had been controlled.

A spokeperson for Montreal police said the force would likely be called to investigate the death after the firefighters’ work is complete, but as of early Sunday afternoon had not yet received the call. 

This report by The Canadian Press was first published April 11, 2021

Morgan Lowrie, The Canadian Press

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