A sense of somberness was felt across the city of London over the weekend, following the building collapse that took the lives of two young construction workers.
On Sunday afternoon during a media conference, London Mayor Ed Holder and many of the city's emergency chiefs expressed their condolences and thoughts to the families affected by the tragedy that took place Friday afternoon at 555 Teeple Terrace.
London Police Chief Steve Williams provided a brief summary of what happened during the afternoon of December 11.
"Our initial response from a police perspective was obviously about rescue and recover. That has ended, this is the time to really slow things down. The role of the police right now is to assist the Ministry of Labour in their investigation and also assist the Office of the Coroner, whose mandate will come into play as well." Williams said it's too early in the investigation to draw conclusions as to why the building collapsed.
Shortly after the collapse, five people were sent to the hospital to be treated for injuries ranging from minor to critical. On Sunday, Victoria Hospital Chief of Surgery Dr. Neil Parry confirmed two patients have been discharged, and two others are in stable condition. The fifth patient was pronounced dead at hospital.
A second man was also killed. His body was removed from the rubble just before midnight Saturday.
The victims have been identified as 26-year-old Henry Harder of Tillsonburg, a father to a newborn baby girl, and 21-year-old John Martens of Langton. Lighthouse Gospel Church in Port Burwell confirmed the deaths of both men in a Facebook post on Saturday night.
Dave O’Brien, the city's security and emergency management director explained that specialized equipment was needed to extract Martens while ensuring the building and those working around it remained safe.
"In a collapse situation, there are many hazards... We have to ensure the safety of everybody involved in the response." O'Brien told reporters. No other specific details regarding the recovery have been provided.
What will happen next is uncertain, as the investigation is in its early stages. The site of 555 Teeple Terrace will remain under the control of the London Police Service and the Ministry of Labour. O'Brien says after that, the building owners will take back responsibility for the building and will have to decide whether or not to resume reconstruction.
Chief Williams reiterated that police will continue to assist the ministry throughout the investigation, but it could take a while before there are answers.