2 people rescued from partially collapsed building in Montréal-Nord borough

The Montreal fire department rescued two people from the rubble of an apartment building in the Montréal-Nord borough after the floor of the apartment they were in partially collapsed late Saturday afternoon.

Both people — conscious but injured — were transported to hospital, according to Montreal fire department spokesperson Martin Guilbault.

The extent of their injuries is not known.

Urgences-Santé was contacted just before 4 P.M.

Guilbault said the collapse, which is not visible from the exterior, was caused by the fall of concrete slab within the building. It's not known why the slab fell.

The building, located on the corner of Rolland Boulevard and Pascal Street, contains 10 apartment units and two businesses. All the occupants are believed to have been have been evacuated, said Marie-Ève ​​Beausoleil, section chief for the Montreal fire department.

Beausoleil said the firefighters are working to secure the premises and ensure nobody else is trapped inside. Montreal police are assisting in the efforts.

According to Christine Black, borough mayor of Montréal-Nord, the apartments were empty at the time of the collapse.

"What we currently know is that there was a fire about a year or two ago, on the first floor. … Since that time, the western part has been barricaded [to carry out work there]," she told Radio-Canada.

The building's two upper floors have remained unoccupied since the fire.

The Service de police de la Ville de Montréal is assisting the fire department in the operation.