1 person unaccounted for after East Vancouver rooftop parking lot collapse: fire officials

One person remains unaccounted for after a rooftop parking lot collapsed in East Vancouver Thursday.

Vancouver Fire Rescue Service Chief Karen Fry confirmed on social media Friday they're still looking for one individual. Officials confirmed eight people were rescued Thursday and two were taken to hospital, though details on the extent of their injuries weren't provided.

"We have specialized heavy equipment and (people with) structural collapse expertise doing everything they can," Fry said.

Trevor Connelly, assistant chief of operations for VFRS, told CTV News Vancouver Friday the team has a general idea of where the unaccounted for person might be. He said the conditions at the site are unstable and that about two dozen people are on scene.

"There's many, many concerns in a situation like this. The structure that remains standing is unstable and has to be treated as such. The pieces that are in there are very large, very heavy," he said.

Connelly said his team didn't yet know why the collapse happened. While the parking lot has a weight limit, it's unknown if that was exceeded.

He said he and his team have tried contacting the person, but have not heard back.

"We have attempted to try and make contact, and we have not had any response or any noises that indicate a location that someone is in there," he said.

The collapse happened just before 1:30 p.m. at a building on Lougheed Highway between Rupert Street and Boundary Road, according to VFRS.

"A Bobcat was doing some work on the section of the parkade roof that gave way," Asst. Chief Dan Moberg told CTV News Thursday. "A section of the rooftop parking lot then collapsed onto an office space below."

In an email to CTV News, B.C. Emergency Health Services said four ambulances were dispatched to the scene.