A tenant who was miraculously absent at the time of the fire that devastated Thursday’s landmark building in Old Montreal is denouncing the apartments’ dangerous configuration, while at least six people remain missing.
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The man, who asked to remain anonymous for fear of reprisals, claims several apartments in the building had no emergency exits or windows.
“My apartment didn’t have a single window,” says the man who has lived there for three years.
The latter only narrowly escaped death because he spent the night from Wednesday to Thursday at a friend’s house.
When he heard the news of the fire after waking up, he immediately went to the scene of the crime to assess the extent of the damage.
The building, which is a total loss, was completely destroyed by flames. A hundred firefighters had to be called to fight the blaze, which destroyed everything but the building’s exterior structure.
“I lost my home, I lost everything I owned,” he sighs.
Illegal Rental
According to the tenant, only 3 of the 15 units were rented year-round, with the others earmarked for short-term Airbnb rentals.
“It was like a secret hotel,” he says.
However, the regulations in force in this sector do not allow the construction of tourist residences, according to research by Le Journal.
“The owner really wanted the last three people who stayed in the building to leave to make it 100% Airbnb,” says the victim.
When he couldn’t quantify it exactly, he claims that many units like his weren’t fitted with windows or fire exits.
One of the victims, Charlie Lacroix, was in such accommodation when the fire broke out. She couldn’t leave the apartment because, according to her father, there was no emergency exit.
At least seven people are still missing, according to the latest official report.
The Montreal Fire Department is currently investigating whether there were working smoke detectors inside the building. During a press conference on Saturday morning, authorities could neither deny nor confirm their presence.
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