The search to find the bodies of the three people missing after the violent explosion in Saint-Roch-de-L’Achigan could last several more days due to the snow which is falling relentlessly, warn the authorities.
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“Everyone is holding their breath. The drama is the waiting. There are families who do not yet have official confirmation that their loved ones are in the debris, ”dropped Sébastien Marcil, the mayor of Saint-Roch-de-l’Achigan, a village of around 5,400 inhabitants in Lanaudiere.
A huge explosion occurred Thursday morning at Propane Lafortune. This powerful explosion was felt for miles around. Several detonations rocked nearby houses.
Photo Laurent Lavoie
Three people are said to have died in the explosion of a propane distribution business in Saint-Roch-de-l’Achigan. Isabelle Lafortune, one of the leaders of Propane Lafortune, emotional in front of the media.
Three missing
Since then, three people are still missing. These are two employees, as well as a subcontractor, confirmed one of the co-owners of the family business, Isabelle Lafortune.
“It’s an extremely difficult test for us,” she said.
In the aftermath of this tragedy, the authorities were still trying to determine the causes of this disaster. And the snow that has been accumulating since Thursday complicates the work of the investigators. The authorities believe that they will have several days to dig through the rubble.
“This is complex work. The scene is very large, there was an explosion, a building collapse, debris piled on top of each other,” said Sûreté du Québec sergeant Éloïse Cossette.
To facilitate research, the SQ is even considering erecting a marquee to preserve the scene. In the meantime, tarpaulins have been installed.
The Minister of Public Security, François Bonnardel, and Caroline Proulx, were on site.
“It’s an immeasurable tragedy,” said Mr. Bonnardel.
Screenshot TVA News
Great Escape
The authorities are not yet confirming the identities of the missing persons and prefer to wait for forensic expertise.
According to our information, two of them would be Céline Pilon and France Desrosiers. They worked for the propane company. The third would be a man doing work on site.
Another Propane Lafortune employee was narrowly saved. Luckily, she would have temporarily left the company, shortly before the tragedy, we learned.
not criminal
In addition, the relatives of the victims were all met at the town hall on Friday morning.
“If I can speak on behalf of the families of the victims, they are in shock and deeply shaken,” said Mayor Marcil.
Despite the force of the blast, no injuries were reported, police confirmed. For the moment, the hypothesis that a criminal act has been committed has been ruled out by the investigators.