36 victims confirmed in Oakland fire; officials not expecting body count to grow substantially
As the staggering number of people killed in this massive Friday night warehouse fire keeps rising, survivors are recounting the horror of that inferno.
OAKLAND (KFSN) -- The Alameda County Sheriff's Office announced now that at least 75 percent of the building has been searched, they don't expect a huge number of victims to be found in the remaining areas of the Ghost Ship warehouse.
Officials not expecting body count to grow substantially in Oakland fire
The Alameda County Sheriff's Office announced now that at least 75 percent of the building has been searched, they don't expect a huge number of victims to be found in the remaining areas of the Ghost Ship warehouse.
If you are trying to locate a loved one, or need information call 510-382-3000.
The search effort was delayed for a time Monday morning because of an unstable wall.
After an overnight delay, the difficult work of searching for bodies resumed at 9 a.m. Monday, a painstaking job that required crews to sift through the rubble mostly by hand, literally one bucket at a time. "That material will be removed from the site and taken to a secure location where we're going to go through it a second time with cadaver dogs and other employees to review the debris to make sure we haven't missed one specific scene," Alameda County Sheriff Greg Ahern said.
Among the 36 victims confirmed dead, at least three of the victims are from outside the United States, including Korea, Guatemala and Finland.
PHOTOS: Some victims of Oakland warehouse fire identified
Among the assets brought in to help with the search and recovery efforts was a giant crane. But first, PG&E had to cut off power to the immediate area.
Officials say although 75 percent of the gutted structure has been searched, there are two key areas where there still might be more bodies. "There's two areas of concern are the back area of the building where the stage was set, where the fire may have originated or the front portion of the building where the roof initially collapsed on people near the windows adjacent to 31st Street," Ahern said.
PHOTOS: A look inside the Oakland Ghost Ship collective warehouse
Investigators do believe they have found the area where the fire started, but not the cause.
A possible criminal investigation is underway. "We're looking at two things, one is whether there is any criminal liability attached to this fire and secondly if there is criminal liability against whom," Alameda County District Attorney Nancy O'Malley said.
"I assure you there is information we will be providing, but we are just on a day-by-day basis, responding to the changing nature of this very complex and devastating event," Oakland Mayor Libby Schaaf said.
The district attorney said the investigation will include a look at government entities that were responsible for enforcing building and safety codes at this warehouse.
Schaaf admitted that the warehouse was not permitted for residential or the party that was in progress on Friday when the deadly fire started.
HOW TO HELP: If you are trying to locate a loved one or need information, call 510-382-3000.
Click here for all ABC7 News stories, videos, and photos from the Ghost Ship warehouse fire.
