Man dead after partial collapse of Montréal-Nord building

A man died after the floor of an apartment building in the Montréal-Nord borough partially collapsed late Saturday afternoon.

The building, located on the corner of Rolland Boulevard and Pascal Street, contains 10 apartment units and a couple of businesses.

All the occupants are believed to have been evacuated, according to the Montreal fire department (SIM).

Firefighters located the victim — a man in his 30s — at 10:15 p.m. Paramedics confirmed his death at the scene.

Earlier, firefighters rescued two people from the rubble of the building. Both men — conscious but injured — were transported to hospital, according to SIM spokesperson Martin Guilbault.

As of Sunday morning, a man in his 30s is in critical condition and a man in his 50s sustained minor injuries.

SIM section chief Marie-Ève Beausoleil says the victim and the injured men appeared to be doing construction work when the floor collapsed. Emergency services were called to the scene just before 4 p.m.

She said there was a fire in the last two years in the part of the building that collapsed.

Christine Black, borough mayor of Montréal-Nord, said renovations had been undertaken as a result of that fire, and part of the building had remained vacant since that time.

Guilbault said the collapse, which is not visible from the exterior, was caused by the fall of concrete slab within the building. The reason the slab fell is not yet known.

Urgences-santé confirmed that two men in their 40s refused to be taken to hospital.

Tenants were able to return to their homes late Saturday evening, according to the SPVM. (Benoît Gagnon/Radio-Canada)

As of Sunday morning, the Service de Police de la Ville de Montréal (SPVM) had removed the security perimeter around the building.

Tenants were able to return to their homes late Saturday evening after authorities ensured that the site was safe, according to the SPVM.

The coroner and Quebec's workplace safety board (CNESST) have taken over the file.