OAKLAND (KRON) — Firefighters have recovered 36 bodies from the warehouse in Oakland, authorities announced Monday morning.
“We absolutely believe the number of fatalities will increase,” fire officials said.
Fire officials say most of the victims were recovered in the center of the building near the dance floor.
Authorities are asking family member and friends to save DNA from missing victims to try to help identify the bodies. More people are still missing.
15 people have been identified, but officials have not yet released all the names. About 70 percent of the building has been searched so far.
Alameda County Sheriff Greg Ahern said deputies plan on conducting autopsies to 20 bodies on Monday.
The office is working on a list of 220 names of people who were at the party, according to Ahern.
A number of people are still unaccounted for, but 50 people have been reported missing since the fire, he said.
“This is one of the most horrific things I’ve ever dealt with,” Ahern said.
Here are the names of the victims released by the city of Oakland so far:
- Cash Askew, 22, Oakland, Calif.
- David Cline, 24, Oakland, Calif., a U.C. Berkeley alumni.
- Nick Gomez-Hall, 25, Coronado, Calif.
- Sara Hoda, 30, Walnut Creek, Calif.
- Travis Hough, 35, Oakland, Calif.
- Donna Kellogg, 32, Oakland, Calif.
- Brandon Chase Wittenauer, 32, Hayward, Calif. Wittenauer was reported missing by his friends. One friend says his car was still at the warehouse.
- 17-year-old Draven McGill who was a student at Ruth Agawa High School.
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