MOSCOW (Sputnik) — The fire broke out about 11:30 p.m. on Friday local time (10:30 GMT Saturday) during the party featuring musician Golden Donna’s 100% Silk West Coast tour.
#Breaking Fatalities reported after fire rips through warehouse on 31st Avenue in #Oakland. Crews remain on scene searching area pic.twitter.com/OICXLW8IF3
— KPIX Assignment Desk (@KPIXDesk) 3. december 2016
Other 25 people remain unaccounted for, the KTVU broadcaster reported.
However, the East Bay Times cited a local fire chief saying that other 13 people were missing.
A representative of the Oakland police could not confirm the number of casualties, in a comment to RIA Novosti.
31st Ave- #oakland @KTVU @kron4news @CBSSF @abc7newsbayarea @allaboutgeorge pic.twitter.com/OecGgnuF6s
— Oakland Firefighters (@OaklandFireLive) 3. december 2016
There were around 50 people at the party at the moment fire broke out, according to firefighters.
On the event's Facebook page, activists are collecting information that could help rescue people missing in the fire.
Eveline Darroch, a volunteer helping the police, wrote: "The sheriffs office is treating this as an accident and not a criminal event."
BREAKING: 9 people dead and 25 people unaccounted for in warehouse fire near Fruitvale section of Oakland. pic.twitter.com/Nyt5VGGrfk
— Averi Harper (@AveriHarper) December 3, 2016
The fire has not been officially declared under control, and crews are expected to remain on the scene for several hours longer, the Oakland firefighters stated.
Some of #oaklandfire firefighter issues were debris inside, which included numerous mannequins, chief said pic.twitter.com/Robh3f6r6R
— Matthias Gafni (@mgafni) December 3, 2016