OAKLAND: At Least Nine Dead In Warehouse Concert Fire, 25 Attendees Still Unaccounted For [VIDEO]

The San Francisco Chronicle reports:



At least nine people were killed and a total of 25 people were unaccounted for after a fire tore through a music party at an artists collective in Oakland, authorities said.

The fire ignited around 11:30 p.m. Friday night in a hulking warehouse at 31st Avenue and International Boulevard, in the Fruitvale neighborhood, while a crowd of as many as 100 people were inside for a performance by the Golden Donna 100 Percent Silk touring electronic dance music show.

Firefighters said that some of the victims might have been trapped in the blaze when they couldn’t escape down a makeshift, one-way stairwell leading to the second floor that was built out of wooden pallets.

“We’ve done a preliminary search and we are up to nine known fatalities,” Oakland Fire Chief Teresa Deloach Reed said at the scene. “There’s still a still a lot of the building that needs to be searched.”

As the fire engulfed the massive building north of Interstate 880, people streamed into the street outside. The roof collapsed, and firefighters had difficulty getting inside. By morning, all of the victims’ bodies were still inside as crews struggled to assess and clear the scene.