Officials: 1 feared dead in Canada roof collapse

[~n/t~]

ELLIOT LAKE, ONT.—One body has been recovered from the debris at Algo Centre Mall, officials confirmed at 9:40 on Wednesday morning.

“We have spoken to the families of the person,” said Dan Hefkey, commissioner for community safety for Ontario. He did not release a name, age or gender but said the body was found in the area near the escalator.

The body, covered with a white cloth, was carried out on a stretcher passed a line of rescue workers who took off their hard hats as it went by.

Hefkey said rescue crews have returned to the rubble of the mall to search for others.

http://www.thestar.com/news/canada/...se-rescuers-inched-closer-to-possible-victims


:rose:

 

[Lexiintoronto]

PC on now.

-Elliot Lake Mayor - family of the deceased has been notified. Condolences to the loved ones. Please support the family and respect their privacy at this difficult time

-HUSAR Bill Neadles - Priestly equipment could not reach elevator from behind. They went to Plan B: entering the mall from the front. Explaining in detail why the search effort was halted on Monday.

Located second victim

 

[Lexiintoronto]

Bill Neadles - should take two hours to search. They believe NO ONE ELSE is in the rubble. Why? K9 and cadaver dogs have not 'hit' .

They are 99 per cent certain there are no other victims. Number of deceased: 2.

 

[Lexiintoronto]

Therefore, person who survived the initial collapse on Saturday afternoon and was heard tapping, breathing detected by monitors, on Monday morning at 4 am is now deceased.

 

[Lexiintoronto]

Reporter asks question about the decision to halt the search effort on Monday. Bill Neadles said it was his decision to stop the search and withdrawl. Reporter said that when the Premier got involved, the equipment (Priestly demolition) was provided and the search was back on, why couldn't Bill Neadles 'think outside the box?' - reporters broke out in applause

 

[Lexiintoronto]

Bill Neadles - Toronto's Heavy Search and rescue team came out to help. It was not within his/their power to continue a search in an area that the engineer deemed unsafe/about to collapse.

The team is made up of police officers, firemen, medics. The impression that we would just give up on saving a life is devastating. We would search for 4 or 5 weeks without stop if we had to. -( Reporters break out in applause and give him a standing ovation as his voice broke)

 

[Lexiintoronto]

'Miracle' that there were no more fatalities (more applause) Bill Neadles said that they reviewed the security tapes and there were 26 people in the food court below the collapse at the time of the incident. One person escaped the collapse by 3 seconds

Asked about the 'tapping'. They had tunneled to the victim on Monday. They worked on trying to reach them for two hours while police officers watched the structure overhead for any sign of collapse. They worked another hour and a half trying to reach them through 'pockets' before the engineer said it was too unsafe to continue the search.

They had to 'physically remove firefighters' away from the scene as they refused to leave and stop working to free the victim.

 

[~n/t~]

'Miracle' that there were no more fatalities (more applause) Bill Neadles said that they reviewed the security tapes and there were 26 people in the food court below the collapse at the time of the incident. One person escaped the collapse by 3 seconds

Asked about the 'tapping'. They had tunneled to the victim on Monday. They worked on trying to reach them for two hours while police officers watched the structure overhead for any sign of collapse. They worked another hour and a half trying to reach them through 'pockets' before the engineer said it was too unsafe to continue the search.

They had to 'physically remove firefighters' away from the scene as they refused to leave and stop working to free the victim.

bbm

:tears: This must have been so difficult for them. God Bless them.

 

[~n/t~]

Lexi, did they say if the other 11 missing are accounted for? They said possibly 12 missing at first (??) Thanks for transcribing :hug:

 

[Lexiintoronto]

bbm

:tears: This must have been so difficult for them. God Bless them.

It's heartbreaking. Firefighters refusing orders from their captain to leave an unsafe area in order to save a victim should put to rest any criticisms that they 'just gave up'.

Monday's halt in the search sounded as if it came down to one beam close to the escalator. It was the one beam that was preventing a further collapse and it was bowing under pressure.

Bill Neadles said that the community brought an abundance of food and drinks for the rescue team and they would all sit together during breaks. He said that the team were all 'big city' people and were overwhelmed by the warmth of this small close-knit community.

 

[Lexiintoronto]

Lexi, did they say if the other 11 missing are accounted for? They said possibly 12 missing at first (??) Thanks for transcribing :hug:

The OPP spokesman said that they don't believe that anyone other than the two deceased were in the collapse. He said that he couldn't speculate on the whereabouts of the other 11 reported missing. But he also said that they can't rule it out that there are other victims.

(They seem to be going on security tapes and the results of the K9s and cadaver dogs).

 

[RabidBadger]

I find it exceedingly difficult to believe that only two people were trapped/killed under that collapse, on a Saturday, no less, the busiest shopping day of the week, near the busiest area of any mall, the food court.

 

[CarmelEyesD]

If surveillance shows 26 people were n the food court at the time of the collapse, my logic tells me 26 people were probably trapped in the building..and probably still there..

 

[CarmelEyesD]

OPP begins criminal investigation into Elliot Lake mall collapse

Read more: http://www.digitaljournal.com/article/327918#tab=comments&sc=0#ixzz1zidrQV00