BURNS LAKE, B.C. — Amid the blackened and bent steel girders and the still-burning wreckage of a Burns Lake, B.C., sawmill, the remains of one of the two missing workers have been found.
While investigators have not been allowed to search what is left of the site, Barbara McLintock, with the BC Coroners Service, said the department’s disaster response unit was given some indication of where a body might be.
“That proved to be correct, something had been seen by one of the firefighters,” she said. “They were lucky in that it was quite near the periphery of the scene and it was an area that was made to be safe.”
It’s snowing off and on in the area and it’s cold. McLintock said conditions are poor for such an investigation.
“It’s such a bad scene. Basically they were working under tarps in this twisted little area. But it did work out.”
Because of the devastating nature of the fire and explosion that tore through the Babine Forest Products mill Friday night, the coroners’ service said the remains could not yet be identified.
Relatives have identified the two missing men as Carl Charlie and Robert Luggi. Both are aboriginal and in their 40s and both have children.
RCMP media spokeswoman Const. Lesley Smith said spot fires are still flaring on the site and its far too dangerous to enter the area to look for the second body.
Two structural engineers are looking over the wreckage to determine if and when investigators can go into the area, Smith said.
“I think its going to be a step by-by-step process. They’re going to be identifying a certain area of the site that will be deemed safe and then go from there.”
Smith said police have information from other workers about who was seen last, where and what they were doing before the blast.
“But unfortunately, when you’re involved in an explosion and fire, either the explosion encompassed certain areas or people were running out of the building. It’s unknown where we’re going to locate any remains.”
McLintock said the coroners’ unit has been working with RCMP and investigators trying to pinpoint the last movements of the second missing person to determine where he might be found.
“They’ve got some idea,” she said. “The next thing they’re working on is ... how difficult is it to make those areas where they want to go in next safe.”
Of the 19 who were rushed to hospital, 11 remain in care at four different hospitals in B.C. and one in Edmonton.
Two of those taken to Vancouver General Hospital are in critical condition. Many of the workers had severe burns, some had broken bones and concussions.