Death toll from Odesa college fire rises to 16

The death toll from a fire in Odesa College of Economics, Law, Hotel and Restaurant Business has risen to 16, the State Emergency Service of Ukraine reported on Thursday morning.

"As of 7 a.m. on December 12, works on removing debris and dismantling emergency structural elements of the building were underway. During the search, 14 bodies were found (9 bodies were not identified)," reads the report.

The State Emergency Service reported that 16 people were killed in the fire, 30 were injured, 8 more remain in hospitals.

The command staff for emergency response and the task group of the State Emergency Service in Odesa region are working at the scent.

Some 222 rescuers and 37 units of equipment were involved in the operation, including 67 people and 8 units of equipment from the State Emergency Service.

As Ukrinform reported, on December 4, a fire broke out on the third floor of a six-storey building of Odesa College of Economics, Law and Hotel and Restaurant Business early on Wednesday, December 4. Units of the State Emergency Service rescued and evacuated 40 people.

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