The mayor of Montreal vowed to tighten the regulation of Airbnb as a search continued for six missing people after a fire swept through a building that included Airbnb units in a historic city section where they are banned.
The firefighters initially thought there was one missing person in the blaze Thursday in the eastern Canadian city. Reports emerged later of illegal Airbnb units in the more than 130 year-old building, and authorities updated the missing over the weekend to seven, including some from the United States.
Montreal police pulled the body of a woman from the rubble Sunday evening.
Montreal police Inspector David Shane said the six who are still missing are from Quebec, Ontario and the U.S. investigators have contacted their families. Nine people were injured in the fire, including two who were hospitalized.
The cause of the fire is being investigated.
Montreal Mayor Val rie Plante said the building included illegal Airbnb units as well as an architect's office. Plante said Airbnb should have demanded that unit owners provide a permit number from the Quebec provincial government.
Plante said that what happened here was a total tragedy. If you don't have a certificate, you cannot rent your unit, we would not be in this position. That would force people who want to act illegally and don't pay taxes to not escape their responsibilities. Plante plans to work with the Quebec provincial government to tighten regulations on short-term rentals.
Nathan Rotman, Airbnb's regional policy lead for Canada, said in a emailed statement: Our hearts go out to the victims of this tragedy, and their families and loved ones. We are providing our support to those affected, and we are assisting law enforcement as they investigate. We are also engaged with the mayor's office. Emile-Haim Benamor, a lawyer for the building's owner, said on Sunday that Airbnb rentals in the building were not operated by his client but by tenants, and that steps had been taken to stop the practice.
On Monday, Montreal fire operations chief Martin Guilbault said firefighters would begin dismantling the second and third floors of the building.
Shane said the police force's fire unit used a drone to locate the body of the woman that was removed Sunday.
There are six more people inside, according to Shane. The different steps we have taken suggest these people who are still missing are probably in the rubble, unfortunately. City officials said that short-term rentals are illegal in the Old Montreal neighborhood where the building is located. The fire took place at the difice William-Watson-Ogilvie, built in 1890, the city said.
Bergevin said in a text message on Sunday that the alarm system had been replaced in 2019 and was regularly tested.
Shane said no one has been charged with any involvement in connection with the fire and that the cause remains under investigation.