An 18-year-old woman called 911 twice before dying because she was in a cul-de-sac and was trapped in the fire at the landmark building in Old Montreal.
• Also read: Big fire in Old Montreal: At least six people are missing
• Also read: Big fire in Old Montreal: A woman is missing, smoke detectors may be missing
“She was an 18-year-old girl with her whole future ahead of her,” sighs Louis-Philippe Lacroix in an interview with Le Journal.
On Wednesday evening, her daughter Charlie went to friends to stay at an Airbnb-like accommodation on Rue du Port in Montreal.
One of her friends, who had finally given up going there, recognized the building where Charlie Lacroix was supposed to be on fire the next morning on television.
“She searched social networks and had no news, my daughter did not answer,” says Mr Lacroix.
Charlie’s friend then contacted him. He quickly went to the police station to report his daughter’s disappearance.
There he learned that Charlie’s last phone tracking was broadcast in the burned building and that she had made two calls to 911 when the fire broke out.
“They said they couldn’t get out because the apartment didn’t have a window,” Mr Lacroix said, according to authorities.
Consideration
He and his family went to the scene of the tragedy on Saturday afternoon to pay their respects to young Charlie and move forward.
“Charlie was funny, full of life, loving, filled with a human potential that we would have loved to see,” testified his cousin Laurence Anne Bettez via message, who was sorely tested by the drama.
“I was very fortunate to be a point of contact for her to call when she needed to talk. We’ve been through wonderful times and tougher times,” she says.
New balance sheet
On Saturday morning, the Montreal Fire Department confirmed at least six people were still missing.
Camille Maheux, a retired photographer who has lived in the building for thirty years, is among them, according to our information.
The other victims, who are still missing by authorities, have not yet been identified.
At the moment, research is not possible because the building is too unstable.
However, SIM officials are working on an intervention plan that will allow teams to conduct safe searches while attempting to preserve heritage structure.
The Montreal Police Department, meanwhile, has requested its specialized intervention teams to capture images with a drone so police can begin their investigation.
– With the agency QMI and in collaboration with Anne-Sophie Jobin, TVA Nouvelles