Man’s body recovered after Vancouver parking lot collapse
Posted July 15, 2022 10:19 pm.
Last Updated July 16, 2022 8:56 am.
A man who was reported missing after an East Vancouver parking lot collapsed on Thursday has been found dead.
Vancouver Fire and Rescue Services (VFRS) say crews recovered the man’s body at the site of the collapse on Lougheed Highway between Rupert Street and Boundary Road at around 5 p.m. Friday. He was pronounced dead at the scene.
Earlier Friday, family members contacted CityNews, identifying the man as Ben Sotelo, a Mexican-Canadian who worked in the building. A source with knowledge of the situation not authorized to speak on this matter has confirmed those details.
The rooftop parking lot above an office space collapsed on Thursday at about 1 p.m.
“This tragic workplace accident — where approximately 90 people were working at the time of the collapse, most who self-evacuated, and eight who were rescued by the first arriving crews from VFRS and two who were transported to hospital by BCEHS — took the life of a member of our community,” reads a statement from VFRS.
Speaking from Reynosa in Mexico, a man identifying himself as the victim’s brother, Humberto Sotelo, spoke of his frustration at the lack of information that is being provided to him by Canadian authorities.
“They are not supporting us, they are not supporting my brother, they don’t give us information,” he told CityNews Friday afternoon. “Not the authorities, not the company, nobody is giving us the right information.”
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Speaking to CityNews via social media, Ben Sotelo’s niece Lia Sotelo also spoke of her frustration about the lack of information. She says police told her they would call her, but after that didn’t happen, she went to the scene. She says only then was she provided with information.
Humberto Sotelo is in the process of travelling to Vancouver from Mexico, but is still working out the paperwork and needs to secure a visa.
It’s still unclear what exactly triggered Thursday’s collapse. However, fire officials have said that a small bobcat-style loader was working on the roof and drilling was underway when it caved in.
With files from Martin MacMahon, Hana Mae Nassar, and Sonia Aslam
