WETASKIWIN, Alta. — Police in Alberta say that after a week of waiting for ice to thaw enough for investigators to examine a burned hotel, they’ve found human remains inside the building.
RCMP say emergency crews responded to Manny’s Hotel in Wetaskiwin, south of Edmonton, for a fire shortly before midnight on Jan. 14.
After the fire was extinguished, police say extremely cold weather hindered efforts to examine the scene.
By Jan. 20, they say crews managed to thaw enough ice to start their work, and three days later on Thursday the remains were found.
Police say the fire investigator has determined the cause of the blaze was suspicious, so the RCMP major crimes unit is being brought in to assist with the investigation.
An autopsy was done Friday, but police say the identity of the person hasn’t been confirmed and the cause of death isn’t yet known.