Remains of Ottawa explosion victims recovered from blast site

The remains of the victims of a major explosion and fire at a tanker truck manufacturing facility in Ottawa have been recovered, police said Wednesday.

One person died in hospital following the explosion at Eastway Tank on Merivale Road last Thursday, while five people are unaccounted for and are presumed dead. In a media briefing over the weekend, officials said the remains of four people had been located. The remains of a fifth person were found a day later.

The site was precarious, with debris, chemicals, and the weather hampering recovery efforts.

In an update on Wednesday, Ottawa police said all remains had been removed from the site and identification would begin. The process of identifying them could take days, if not weeks, police said. No formal identification of any of the victims has been made.

Family members have identified five people as victims of the tragedy: Kayla Ferguson, Rick Bastien, Danny Beale, Etienne Mabiala, and Russ McLellan. A memorial outside of Eastway Tank has been growing with pictures of loved ones, flowers, and messages.

The explosion was one of the deadliest industrial accidents in Ottawa’s history. A cause has yet to be determined.