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At least 9 dead, 13 unaccounted for in Oakland fire

(Credit: Twitter/@Oaklandfirelive) 

Authorities fear there may be as many as 40 fatalities from a fire overnight at a warehouse in Oakland, California, where a party was taking place, though only nine deaths have been confirmed thus far, officials said.

Sgt. Ray Kelly of the Alameda County Sheriff's Office said authorities are prepared for a mass causality event.

The Oakland Fire Department responded to reports of a structure fire on 31st Avenue at around 11:32 p.m. on Friday night. Most of the bodies were found on the warehouse's second floor, which was only accessible by a makeshift stairwell assembled with various materials, according to Oakland Fire Chief Teresa Deloach Reed.

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Reed said the warehouse appears to be a work and residential building that hosts a makeshift artists' studio. It's unclear if the building is equipped with smoke alarms, the fire chief added.

Aside from those confirmed dead, at least 13 others are unaccounted for and more fatalities are expected. A thorough search of the building is still underway, authorities said.

At a press conference Saturday morning, Kelly said the roof of the building had collapsed and firefighters were shoring up the charred structure to ensure it's safe before recovery crews can enter.

One person who was inside the warehouse at the time of the fire told ABC affiliate KGO that the building is home to about 18 people who use it as an artist collective.

Officials told KGO there was an event with at least 75 people inside when the flames erupted Friday night.

Footage from the scene showed the building engulfed in flames as plumes of thick, grey smoke billowed into the dark sky.