Three people, including a 36-year-old woman, lost their lives in a fire that occurred a few hours before Christmas Eve, in Saint-Basile, in the county of Portneuf.

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The blaze began around 4:30 a.m. Saturday in a triplex on Rang Sainte-Angélique, said Sûreté du Québec (SQ) spokesperson Stéphane Tremblay.

The flames are said to have started in the 3rd floor apartment, where a woman was found unresponsive.

Resuscitation maneuvers were carried out, but the death of the victim was unfortunately confirmed at the hospital. It was established that there was no electricity in the area at the time of the tragedy.

The building was a total loss and the fire was still ongoing around 8:30 a.m.

Around 10:30 a.m., firefighters discovered two other bodies, but there is no formal identification yet, said the SQ spokesperson.

The investigation was transferred to the SQ Major Crimes team due to the deaths and a fire technician was dispatched to the scene.

The cause of the blaze was still unknown as of mid-afternoon.

More details to come...