A body was removed Wednesday morning from a collapsed Canadian shopping mall in Elliot Lake, Ontario, but wasn't immediately identified by officials.

CTV News footage showed six rescue workers carrying a litter with a body entirely wrapped in a bright yellow covering from the Algo Centre Mall.

"Emergency workers removed their hats or helmets and bowed their heads as the stretcher was carried from the mall," CTV reported.

The Canadian Broadcasting Corp. said an ambulance had also been sent to the site, raising hopes there was still someone alive in the debris four days after the rooftop parking lot collapsed into the two-story building.

Overnight, crews used a massive robotic crane arm from a Toronto construction company to pry away a large section of wreckage. A smaller robot was also remotely driven into the site to assess hazards that could face rescuers and canine searchers, the CBC said.

Officials said Monday they could confirm one death, but didn't reveal an identity. Police said Wednesday 12 people were still unaccounted for and were asked the public for help in determining their whereabouts.

Scores of residents have been camped near the mall in a vigil for survivors since Saturday afternoon's collapse. (c) UPI