First victim of Old Montreal fire identified as 76-year-old Camille Maheux, 3rd and 4th bodies recovered

Montreal police say a third and fourth body were pulled from the rubble of last week’s Old Montreal fire.

Montreal police made the update late Wednesday night, before noting the bodies were taken for identification.

Earlier in the day, police identified the first victim of the fire as 76-year-old Camille Maheux.

(Photo Credit: Petunia Alves)

Montreal police provided the update Wednesday afternoon at a press conference.

“She is the first victim that we recovered in the rubble last Sunday evening,” Insp. David Shane said.

“The family was informed by Montreal police investigators prior to this press briefing. The investigation and the search for other victims are ongoing.”

Maheux was a retired photographer living in the building that caught fire, according to various media reports.

#WATCH: "She is the first victim that we had recovered in the rubble last Sunday evening," says David Shane of the SPVM, confirming the identity of 76-year-old Camille Maheux as being one of the victims of the fatal Old Montreal fire.

READ: https://t.co/a7VIJw6nUc pic.twitter.com/ZG8cqi9MIN

— CityNews Montreal (@CityNewsMTL) March 22, 2023

According to a friend from Maheux’s adolescence, she came from the Beauce region in Saint-Georges.

Police say two bodies have so far been recovered. Five people are still missing after the March 16 blaze.

Updating media on Wednesday morning, the Montreal police and fire department said pathologists are working to identify the two bodies, but it can be a long process.

The individuals must be identified using two different methods, and one must be scientific either using DNA or dental records. Police are working with family members of those missing to collect DNA.

“We know the wait is agonizing for families, particularly when we announce a deceased person, ” said Inspector David Shane, head of communications and spokesperson for the Montreal police department, while expressing their commitment to providing answer for loved ones as quickly as possible.

There is still a serious risk the building will collapse and for safety reasons investigators cannot physically enter the building, making their work complex.

On Wednesday, the Montreal fire chief said they plan to remove two chimneys from the building – in order to give the structure more stability.

RELATED
Family of missing 18-year-old hoping for answers after Old Montreal fire
American neuroscientist who loved Montreal another presumed victim of deadly blaze

On Tuesday when they found the second body they were able to access areas in the building for the first time – that had been targeted as potentially where victims were staying. They worked from above the collapsed roof with a crane.

Wednesday, they plan on evaluating new areas to search, that will be chosen using specialized cameras and a drone.

As investigators have been combing through the scene, a few citizens, including friends of the victims, have stopped by to lay flowers outside the barricaded site, sharing how agonizing this wait has been.

Police Chief Fady Dagher told reporters Monday there could be more victims. At minimum, he said, the investigation could take two weeks.

The five people missing are from Quebec, Ontario and the United States, and investigators have contacted their families.

The fire also injured nine people, including two who remained hospitalized as of Monday.

Police have said the three-storey historic building included units that were rented on the platform Airbnb, which is outlawed by the city in the area. They did not confirm how many of the missing people were tourists.

The fire has prompted renewed scrutiny of the short-term rental platform, and Montreal’s mayor has called for Airbnb to stop listing units that don’t have a permit proving they are operating legally.

One of the victim’s father has said his daughter told 911 operators that she was trapped in a unit with no fire escape or windows, and has called on the city to ensure Airbnbs and apartments have proper exits.

Airbnb has said it is supporting victims and assisting police, but has not answered questions on whether it is willing to crack down on illegal listings.

No one has been charged in connection with the fire and the cause remains under investigation.

With files from the Canadian Press