2 trapped, 1 feared dead, in Elliot Lake Ontario mall collapse

[theaveragejoe 282]

 

"One person is feared dead after a roof collapsed at a mall in the northern Ontario city of Elliot Lake on Saturday.

 

Two people are trapped in the rubble and nine people are missing, Ontario Provincial Police said Sunday.

 

"Evidence has been uncovered that leads us to suspect that there may be a casualty," officials said in a statement.

 

Search and rescue teams are combing through debris for the missing. Nearly two dozen people were injured.

 

Earlier Sunday, OPP said the number of potential missing people was two pages long. Names continue to be crossed off that list as members of the community account for their loved ones.

 

A portion of the Algo Centre Mall's roof, which serves as a parking lot, came crashing through two floors on Saturday afternoon.

 

"I was shocked and horrified when I heard the roof-top parking lot outside of my constituency office crashed through two floors of the shopping centre,” MPP Mike Mantha said.

 

“As professionals engage in a rescue efforts, I am inspired by the spirit of this community as we confront this tragedy.”

 

Premier Dalton McGuinty echoed those thoughts in a statement released Sunday.

 

“As we anxiously wait to learn more about anyone thought to be missing in Elliot Lake, our thoughts and prayers are with their families, and also with those who have been injured and indeed with the entire community,” he said.

 

“During a crisis like this, I am reminded of the strength and resilience of Northern Ontarians, and how by pulling together with our friends, families and neighbours, we can get through these difficult times."

 

Algoma OPP Inspector Percy Jollymore urged anyone worried about missing loved ones to check in at an information centre where police are tracking those who are unaccounted for. Vicars and crisis councillors are on hand.

 

"We encourage people to contact that agency ... so we can locate the family members that they're trying to get a hold of, and we can shorten that list."

 

Police also said 22 people were injured in the collapse, but none of them were seriously hurt.

 

Elliot Lake is located about 160 kilometres west of Sudbury."

 

 

http://www.citytv.co...e-mall-collapse

[theaveragejoe 282]

 

 

 

"Rescue efforts will proceed at the scene of an Elliot Lake mall roof collapse.

 

The move comes at the urging of Ontario Premier Dalton McGuinty, a local MPP has confirmed with The Canadian Press.

 

New Democrat Michael Mantha says the search is on again after McGuinty urged officials to continue the effort.

Mantha says rescue workers are coming up with a plan to allow the rescue of any survivors or the remains of those inside the mall to be removed from the site.

Earlier, rescue efforts were halted after officials said the structure was unsafe for rescuers.

 

That led to an immediate backlash.

 

The owners of the mall said they would seek an injunction against the decision and residents also expressed dismay at the decision.

 

"Our hopes and prayers are with the families of those effected by this tragedy," Rhonda Bear of Eastwood Mall Inc. said in an email to The Canadian Press.

 

"We heard they are stopping the search. The owners are pleading that they continue the search or allow trained personnel that are still willing to continue."

 

"They have lawyers who have begun an injunction against this decision to stop the search."

 

http://www.citytv.co...rts-to-continue