Two bodies were recovered in collapse debris two days after a three-alarm fire in a Minneapolis apartment building.
The fire was reported about 9:45 p.m. on Tuesday night and firefighters rescued a multiple residents before retreating from the structure with the threat of a collapse.
On Thursday, "upon being notified that a resident was unaccounted for, fire crews reentered the building to search the collapsed portion, where we recovered 2 victims," Chief Bryan Tyner said in a statement. "They were both located underneath the debris of the collapsed roof in the same apartment unit."
The victims were a male and female.
The state's Urban Search and Rescue Task Force was requested with their cadaver dog to search through the debris Friday and Tyner said the building was searched and no more victims were found.
"I would like to express my sincere condolences to the family and friends of the victims of this fire. I pray that you find comfort in the coming days," said Tyner. "As a firefighter, one of the toughest things to live with is the knowledge that we are not able to save every life."
According to Fox9 News, officials called the fire arson and investigators were working the case.
Firefighters Tuesday night found fire on the third floor and in a rear stairwell, which spread to the top floor of the four-story building before burning through the roof.
Ladders were used to rescue a number of victims from heavy smoke conditions.
Crews were pulled from the structure with a threat of a roof collapse and transitioned to a defensive attack.
"I would like to express my support to the Incident Commander who made the call to switch to a defensive strategy. It is an incredibly difficult decision to make, but if he had not, we would likely be here talking about deceased firefighters in addition to the tragic loss of these two lives."
