At least 3 dead in Canadian residence fire

A firefighter looks on at the seniors residence Residence du Havre after a fire in L'Isle Verte, Quebec, Jan 23, 2014. Police will spend Thursday night sifting through the frozen ruins of a wooden, three-story residence for the elderly that burned down in the Eastern Canadian province of Quebec, killing at least three people and leaving 30 more missing. [Photo/Agencies]

L'ISLE-VERTE, Quebec - Quebec provincial police say at least three people are dead and about 30 are missing in a fire that destroyed a seniors' residence in eastern Quebec.

The massive fire in the 52-unit complex broke out around 12:30 am ET in L'Isle-Verte, about 140 miles (225 kilometers) east of Quebec City.

Initial reports said 20 residents had been transported to safety, but it was unclear just how many residents were missing in the inferno. Quebec Provincial Police Sgt. Ann Mathieu said Thursday authorities were trying to determine the exact number of victims and learn the cause of the blaze.

The complex also housed a social agency, a pharmacy and a hair salon.

Several fire departments in the region were called in to help extinguish the blaze, which completely destroyed the building.