Five dead, 30 missing in major fire at Quebec seniors home
Posted January 23, 2014 7:10 pm.
This article is more than 5 years old.
L’ISLE-VERTE, Que. (NEWS1130) – Authorities now say five people are confirmed dead and about another 30 are missing after fire tore through a seniors’ residence in eastern Quebec.
The blaze destroyed the residence in L’Isle-Verte, about 240 kilometres northeast of Quebec City.
Police and a coroner’s official announced the increased death toll at a news conference tonight.
The earlier number of confirmed fatalities was three.
None of the victims have been identified.
The deputy mayor of L’Iles-Verte says many of those who lived in the residence had limited mobility and were confined to wheelchairs and walkers.
The fire is raising questions about safety at seniors’ homes across the country.
There are no uniform rules.
Last year, Ontario became the first province to require sprinklers in all retirement homes and long-term care facilities.
CARP, a group representing older Canadians, says there’s no good reason the standards shouldn’t be identical across the country.
In Quebec, sprinklers are mandatory only in seniors’ homes where no occupants are mobile.
