Rescue Mission Underway After Mall Roof Collapses
Crews are frantically working to stabilize the Elliot Lake Mall roof that partially collapsed on Saturday, June 23rd.
Rescue officials believe that people may still be trapped within the mall and still consider their efforts a rescue mission. The roof parking lot caved in sending debris and metal through two floors of the Algo Centre Mall.
Ontario Provincial Police Inspector Percy Jollymore said, ” At least one person has died and nine people remain unaccounted for, a number which will likely change as officials contact members of the community about missing loved ones.”
Elliot Lake Mall Roof Collapses: Search For Survivors Continues
Jollymore went on to state, “We have obtained some visual information relating to a visual of a hand and a foot which is our grounds for the suspected casualty in this case, we cannot confirm the identity.”
The roof which was extensively renovated a number of years ago was believed to have numerous problems prior to two vehicles falling through the roof. The mall owners Toronto based Eastwood Mall has a structural survey performed on the mall last month which found no significant problems.
Heavy Urban Search and Rescue team spokesman, Bill Needles stated, “Some of our search members this morning heard a couple of taps. We then turned our whole efforts towards trying to locate this individual. There was no verbal, there was no sight, we have no idea if it’s male, female, what age, it was just a tap.”
Elliot Lake is located about 160 kilometres west of Sudbury.
