Quebec coroner orders public inquiry into Old Montreal fire that killed mother, daughter
Inquiry could be combined with that of 2023 Old Montreal fire that killed 7 people
Quebec's chief coroner has initiated a public inquiry into the deaths of two individuals who perished in a significant fire in Old Montreal last week.
Coroner Reno Bernier ordered the inquiry at the request of Public Security Minister François Bonnardel.
Léonor Geraudie, 43, and her seven-year-old daughter Vérane Reynaud-Geraudie, both French nationals, lost their lives inside a three-storey, century-old building on Notre-Dame Street when a suspicious fire broke out early Friday morning.
The building contained a restaurant on the ground floor and a hostel on the upper levels.
Coroner Géhane Kamel will lead the inquiry, which will provide recommendations, when applicable, to prevent further fatalities in similar situations.
Kamel is also overseeing an inquiry into another deadly fire that claimed the lives of seven people in Old Montreal in March 2023.
This previous inquiry was ordered in April 2023 but has faced delays due to an ongoing criminal investigation.
Given the similarities between the two cases, Kamel may ultimately decide to merge the inquiries, as stated in a news release from the coroner's office.
The inquiry's terms and hearings will be established in compliance with the law, ensuring that the ongoing judicial processes in both cases are not compromised, according to the release.
