Canada_ (Commonwealth) _ An Wu traveled to Montreal last week for a conference and stayed an extra day to explore the city. According to Wu’s friend Pantong Yao, she leased an Airbnb apartment in Old Montreal, and her loved ones last heard from her on Wednesday night. Yao is not alone either. Speaking , Zafar Mahmood claimed that his daughter Dania Zafar is also missing.
“She and I have a tight relationship. This is the end of the world for me. I am completely lost.” A heritage building in Old Montreal caught fire early on Thursday, leaving Wu and Zafar among the missing. Nine persons were taken to the hospital, three of whom suffered critical injuries. On Sunday, the multi-unit building’s debris yielded the body of one unnamed lady. Six more people were remained missing as of Tuesday.
The building’s risk of collapsing, according to Martin Guilbault, chief of operations for the Montreal fire department, has prevented workers from entering. Teams were still scanning the area from a safe distance, he claimed.
The identification of the dead will be a “long procedure,” according to Inspector David Shane of the Service de Police de la Ville de Montréal (SPVM), in part because victims must be recognized using at least one scientific technique, such as DNA or dental data.
The coroner’s office of the province will assist in the investigation and victim identification under the direction of Quebec coroner Géhane Kamel. The mayor of Montreal, Valérie Plante, has urged Airbnb and the provincial government of Quebec to collaborate more closely with the city to combat unauthorized short-term rentals. Families of the victims are still in the dark.
According to Jill Zhu, the Wu family has requested further details regarding the lease and the listing from Airbnb. According to Zhu, Airbnb informed the family that only the police would receive the information.
She stated that they are speculating as to whether each unit has adequate windows, carbon monoxide detectors, a secure escape path, and a functional fire alarm that may have awoken snoozing visitors prior to the structure being destroyed by flames.
