Fire at Flamengo Training Facility in Brazil Kills 10 Teens

By: Ibrahim El-Shawarby

CAIRO, Feb.9 (SEE)- A fire on Friday morning at the youth facility of Brazilian soccer club Flamengo left 10 teenage players dead and three injured. The fire swept through the club's newly expanded youth training center in the early hours of the morning and engulfed the dormitory in flames as the players were sleeping.

Thirteen of the 26 players in the housings were able to escape the fire without any significant injuries; three others were rushed to the hospital and 10 were announced dead.

According Globo Esporte, the building that caught fire did not have the proper permits and was used as lodging for the Flamengo youth teams. It housed players between 14 and 17 years of age.

The cause of the fire is yet to be discovered, but one of the victims was 15-year-old Chirstian Esmerio, a youth goalkeeper with the Brazilian national team who was getting looks from overseas clubs. The other nine names include: Arthur Vinicius, Athila Paixão, Bernardo Pisetta, Gedson Santos, Jorge Eduardo, Pablo Henrique, Rykelmo de Souza Viana, Samuel Thomas e Vitor Isaías.