A FIRE that erupted during a dance party at a warehouse used by an artists’ collective in Oakland, California, the United States, killed at least nine and left about two dozen people missing, raising fears that more bodies would be found inside, authorities said Saturday.
City and Alameda County officials said they expected the death toll to climb once the burned-out ruins of the two-story building were shored up and recovery teams were able to safely enter the structure.
The blaze started at about 11:30 p.m. Friday in the city’s Fruitvale district, a mostly Latino area that is also home to many artists living and working in converted lofts.
The cause of the blaze and exact number of casualties remained undetermined, said Oakland Fire Chief Teresa Deloach Reed, who called it the worst single-structure fire she had seen in her career.
Still, nine fatalities had been confirmed, and authorities were working to account for “a couple of dozen” other people and were “expecting the worst,” Sergeant Ray Kelly, a spokesman for the county sheriff, told a news conference.
(SD-Agencies)
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