Fire at California loft party kills nine, higher death toll feared

A charred wall is seen outside a warehouse after a fire broke out during an electronic dance party late Friday evening, resulting in at least nine deaths and many unaccounted for in the Fruitvale district of Oakland, California, U.S. December 3, 2016. REUTERS/Stephen Lam

OAKLAND, Calif. (Reuters) - A fire that erupted during a dance party in a warehouse in Oakland, California, killed at least nine people and left about two dozen missing, raising fears the death toll would rise, authorities said on Saturday.

City and Alameda County officials said they expected to find more victims once the burned-out ruins of the two-story building, which housed an artists' collective, were shored up and recovery teams were able to safely enter the structure.