The
death toll from a fire at an illegal California rave jumped to at least
30 Sunday after crews scoured through only a small section of the
smoldering rubble from a wrecked warehouse.
The fire at the "Ghost Ship" warehouse in Oakland.
(AP)
The death toll from a fire at an illegal California rave jumped to at
least 30 Sunday after crews scoured through only a small section of the
smoldering rubble from a wrecked warehouse.
Searchers found 30 bodies in the rubble of the so-called “Ghost Ship”
warehouse in Oakland, Alameda County Sheriff's Sgt. Ray Kelly said. He
said the search for victims could span another two days, and authorities
fear up to 40 casualties could be found.
Speaking at a press conference, Kelly said the "astronomical" death
toll was likely to keep rising and it would take days to identify the
victims, some of whom were burned beyond recognition. No casualties have
been named.
Crews were still in a “long and arduous” process of digging through
debris from the Friday night fire, Oakland Battalion Chief of Fire
Melissa Dayton said. Fire breaks out at illegal Calif. dance party; as many as 40 dead
After two days, firefighters had only cleared one-fifth of the building’s ruins, she said.
The blaze broke out during on the cramped second floor of the warehouse
during a rave that was held without a permit. Authorities said up to
100 people could have been partying there at the time.
The cause of the fire is unknown. Kelly said arson is not suspect, but nothing is being ruled out in the investigation.
As rescuers rummaged through the rubble, troubling signs about the building and its operator swiftly emerged. Calif. warehouse operator mourns his venue after deadly fire
The building is owned by Chor Ng, but leased to Derick Ion, the founder of the Ghost Ship Artist Collective.
Ion ostensibly used the labyrinthine space as a commune for fellow
artists. But former dwellers said after the blaze that tenants regularly
flowed through the space, using illegal hookups for electricity.
Meanwhile, some told ABC News Ion laughed off warnings from the city
about fire hazards. The warehouse reportedly had no fire alarms and
sprinklers, and the City of Oakland started investigating it just last
month for illegal construction.
Ion, meanwhile, caught hell online for a Facebook post where he mourned
the loss of his building, but said nothing about those who died inside.
“Confirmed. Everything I worked so hard for is gone. Blessed that my
children and Micah were at a hotel safe and sound... it's as if I have
awoken from a dream filled with opulence and hope.... to be standing now
in poverty of self worth,” he wrote Saturday morning, just hours after
the news broke.
His post spurned dozens of angry messages, with many calling for him to
face jail time. Ion is already on probation after pleading guilty this
January to a misdemeanor charge of receiving stolen property, according
to TMZ.
He did not return messages on Facebook.
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