Death toll in California loft fire rises to 30

Record ID: 75515

  • Title: Death toll in California loft fire rises to 30
  • Date: 4th December 2016
  • Summary: OAKLAND, CALIFORNIA, UNITED STATES (DECEMBER 4, 2016) (REUTERS) SHOT OF TENTS SET UP BY ALAMEDA COUNTY SHERIFF’S OFFICE OUTSIDE BURNT WAREHOUSE CLOSE OF WINDOWS OF WAREHOUSE (SOUNDBITE) (English) ALAMEDA COUNTY SHERIFF'S OFFICE CORONER'S DIVISION CAPTAIN MELANIE DITZENBERGER SAYING: "The Alameda County Sheriff's Office's Coroner's Bureau would like to ask the loved ones of the missing to preserve sources of DNA and that could be hair brushes, combs or toothbrushes. We asked that those items be placed in a secure clean paper sack. Do not send them to the coroner's bureau. We will ask for them as we need them. As of 11:30, this afternoon or this morning the count of victims has reached 30." WIDE OF TENTS OUTSIDE WAREHOUSE VARIOUS OF FIREFIGHTERS NEAR WAREHOUSE WIDE OF TENTS AND WAREHOUSE
  • Embargoed: 19th December 2016 21:12
  • Keywords: Fire warehouse Oakland California
  • Location: OAKLAND, CALIFORNIA, UNITED STATES
  • City: OAKLAND, CALIFORNIA, UNITED STATES
  • Country: USA
  • Reuters ID: LVA0015BGYB0N
  • Aspect Ratio: 16:9
  • Story Text: The death toll in a fire that devastated a California loft building during a weekend dance party has climbed to 30 people and will likely rise further as recovery teams push deeper into the charred ruin, authorities said on Sunday (December 4).
    Oakland firefighters found the remains of 30 victims as they sifted through the debris-filled shell of the two-story converted warehouse being used by an artists' collective. The cause of the fire is still undetermined, officials said.
    They asked family members to preserve items that might contain DNA of the victims, including combs, toothbrushes and hair brushes, to help with identification.
    "The Alameda County Sheriff's Office's Coroner's Bureau would like to ask the loved ones of the missing to preserve sources of DNA and that could be hair brushes, combs or toothbrushes. We asked that those items be placed in a secure clean paper sack. Do not send them to the coroner's bureau. We will ask for them as we need them. As of 11:30, this afternoon or this morning the count of victims has reached 30," said Alameda Coroner's Bureau captain Melanie Ditzenberger.
    The fire erupted about 11:30 p.m. on Friday (0730 GMT on Saturday) during the party featuring electronic dance music that dozens of people attended.
    Only 20 percent of the building had been searched in the past 12 hours, Melinda Drayton, battalion chief at the Oakland Fire Department, said on Sunday morning.
    The recovery operation had been delayed for hours until workers could enter safely. The roof had collapsed onto the second floor and in some spots, the second story had fallen onto the first.
    Officials said the origin of the fire had yet to be determined and the cause was unknown.
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