This article is from the source 'rtcom' and was first published or seen on . It last changed over 40 days ago and won't be checked again for changes.
You can find the current article at its original source at https://www.rt.com/usa/369088-oakland-fire-rave-warehouse/
The article has changed 8 times. There is an RSS feed of changes available.
Version 4 | Version 5 |
---|---|
'Mass casualty event’: 9 dead, 25 missing after huge blaze at Oakland venue (VIDEOS, PHOTOS) | |
(35 minutes later) | |
Fire officials dealing with a major fire at a club venue in Oakland, California have confirmed that at least nine people died in the blaze and they are expecting that number to rise. | |
Dozens of people were reported missing in the hours after a massive fire broke out in a building hosting a warehouse party, prompting fears they became trapped inside during the inferno. | |
In a press briefing on the incident, Fire Chief Teresa Deloach-Reed confirmed nine deaths and warned that the toll could rise as the property is more thoroughly searched, Reuters reports. | |
"There is a large majority of that building that has not been searched," she said. | |
The blaze broke out on 31st Ave in Oakland during a party advertised as a ‘Rave Cave’ as part of musician Golden Donna’s ‘100% Silk’ West Coast tour. | The blaze broke out on 31st Ave in Oakland during a party advertised as a ‘Rave Cave’ as part of musician Golden Donna’s ‘100% Silk’ West Coast tour. |
The fire raged for several hours, with 55 firefighters drafted in to tackle the blaze. It is not yet known how it started. | |
Deloach-Reed told local media that the building had no sprinkler system and it appears that no smoke detectors went off. | |
“This is a true loss for the city, for the firefighters who responded, and the people who lost family and friend. It’s just tragic, a real tragedy,” she said. | |
Local TV station KPIX tweeted that fire officials cannot complete a search of the building because it is currently “unstable.” | |
The Alameda County Coroner told KPIX that they are preparing for a “mass casualty event,” with possibly 40 victims. | |
Dozens of people posted on the event’s Facebook page to say that they had safely escaped the fire, while others enquired about friends and relatives yet unaccounted for. | |
One, Eveline Darroch, wrote: “I am here with the fire inspector going through the list of missing names of missing/safe. At this point there are several threads. I am requesting that you only post in this thread their name and missing or safe next to it. Thank you.” | One, Eveline Darroch, wrote: “I am here with the fire inspector going through the list of missing names of missing/safe. At this point there are several threads. I am requesting that you only post in this thread their name and missing or safe next to it. Thank you.” |
The building also reportedly housed an artists' collective. | |
A Twitter account that posts about Oakland firefighters had earlier reported that the fire proceeded through the roof and all units were told to withdraw from the building at one point. | A Twitter account that posts about Oakland firefighters had earlier reported that the fire proceeded through the roof and all units were told to withdraw from the building at one point. |