Dozens feared dead after 'rave cave' warehouse club fire

Oakland fire Credit: @OaklandFireLive

Nine people have died following a fire at a warehouse in Oakland, California, with another 25 believed to be missing, according to police, who expect the death toll to jump.

As many as 100 party-goers were at the "Rave Cave" club night in the two-storey warehouse in Oakland, California, when the enormous blaze broke out at 11.30pm local time.

Footage on social media showed the building engulfed by thick plumes of black smoke as firefighters battled the fire through the night.

Fire officials are still trying to determine exactly how the fire started, Chief Teresa Deloach-Reed said, adding that it was the worst single-structure fire she had seen in her career.

"There is a large majority of that building that has not been searched," Deloach-Reed told reporters during a briefing.

"We are hoping that the number nine is what there is and that there are no more. But we have not done a complete search of the building."

Thick plumes of smoke were seen coming from the building during the night Credit: PA

Sergeant Ray Kelly, a spokesman for the Alameda County Sheriff's Office, said that authorities were expecting the death toll to rise, and that they would deal with "several dozen fatalities".

"The roof has collapsed down onto the second floor, so we have to literally go in there piece by piece and move wood and timbers and debris in order to even get an assessment," he said.

Artist and activist Jenny Yang, 34, who was waiting for news of missing friends said: "It's just so hard to accept that some really wonderful people's lives got cut short."

A Facebook event page showed that 176 people had planned to attend the party.

The building is damaged but is so huge that it has not been fully searched yet Credit: PA

Authorities said they did not suspect arson, but investigators want to find out if the building, which was partitioned into artists' studios, had a history of building code violations.

The city had received complaints about unpermitted construction at the building and opened an investigation, but an inspector failed to gain access to the structure on November 7, and the inquiry remained open.

The city was aware of reports that people were living there, but no permits had been issued for habitation.

Many of the victims were young people in their 20s or 30s, authorities said.