ELLIOT LAKE, Ontario, June 26 (UPI) -- Cautious and delicate rescue operations resumed Tuesday at the scene of a Canadian shopping mall roof collapse in Elliot Lake, Ontario, officials said.
The rooftop parking lot came crashing down into the two-story mall Saturday afternoon and emergency officials still weren't clear on how many people might be buried in the rubble, CTV News reported.
One death has been confirmed and rescuers said Monday they had heard tapping sounds from the debris. Twenty-two people were treated for injuries after the collapse.
The town of 11,300 erupted in anger and protests Monday when rescuers said the rubble was too unstable to continue looking for victims.
Provincial Premier Dalton McGuinty called for a resumption of rescue efforts. He also spoke with Prime Minister Stephen Harper Monday night asking for federal assistance, which could include the use of the military, The (Toronto) Globe and Mail reported.
Soon after the collapse, a convoy of the Heavy Urban Search and Rescue Team was deployed from Toronto. Spokesman Bill Needles said Monday what's left of the mall is highly unstable, steel beams are buckling and the structure is breaking apart from the weight of the wreckage.
