Death toll rises from Quebec fire

The bitter cold is impacting recovery efforts at the scene of the devastating seniors’ residence fire in Quebec. And officials now say the blaze has claimed eight lives but some 30 people are still missing. And the search for more victims is being suspended at seven Friday night until Saturday morning due to the frigid temperatures.

The fire destroyed the residence in L’Isle-Verte, which is about 240 kilometres northeast of Quebec City. The scene reveals quite a bit of ice. So much so that authorities are using steam to melt the ice and to preserve the bodies. So far none of the victims have been publicly identified. The tragic fire has gained the attention and condolences of the royal family. The Queen and Prince Philip say there were saddened to learn of the fire and that their thoughts and prayers are also with all those who were injured in Wednesday night’s blaze. Three teams of investigators are working in rotating shifts in frigid temperatures and dangerously icy conditions to search for victims’ bodies and for a cause of the fire.