Three people were injured, one seriously, in the fire in a commercial building that broke out on Wednesday evening in the Village east of downtown Montreal.
Firefighters were called to the scene at about 6:35 p.m. on Sainte-Catherine Street, between Wolfe Street and Montcalm Street, just steps from the Beaudry subway station, due to a call reporting smoke.
Thierry Laforce / QMI Agency
Realizing the severity of the fire, firefighters raised a third alarm and gathered about 90 firefighters to fight the flames, said Robert Rousseau, department chief of the Montreal Fire Department.
Rescue workers found three injured people on site, two of whom had to be transported to hospital. One of them was significantly affected by the smoke and was in critical condition, Mr Rousseau said.
Thierry Laforce / QMI Agency
The fire department estimates the damage to the building to be over $200,000.
The cause of the incident was unknown at the end of the evening. Because one person was injured, the investigation was turned over to the Montreal police.