Families of Montreal fire victims could face long wait for answers, police say

 Police say the families of the presumed victims of a deadly fire in Old Montreal could be facing a long wait for answers, as investigators are working to enter a building described as a “scene of destruction.” 

Insp. David Shane told reporters today that the unstable structure of the building and the difficulty of recovering bodies could mean an agonizing delay for the loved ones of the people missing.

One woman has been found dead and six people remain missing after a fire swept through the historic building in Old Montreal last Thursday.

Shane says several floors of the building collapsed on each other, and because of the risk of further collapse, recovery teams will have to be lifted by crane into the building.

Fire and police investigators explored the scene Monday with the help of cameras and visual inspections from the outside but did not recover any more victims. 

A spokeswoman for the city’s forensics lab says the process to identify victims could also be complex, and could rely in part upon dental records and DNA, which will be matched to samples provided by the victims’ families.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published March 21, 2023.