10 killed in fire in Brazilian guesthouse

At least 10 people died Friday in a fire at a defunct hotel being used as a temporary homeless shelter in the southern Brazilian city of Porto Alegre, authorities said.

The fire department of Rio Grande do Sul state, whose capital is Porto Alegre, said emergency workers confirmed 10 victims at the site, which was operating without proper authorization.

“Forensic experts are at the scene to identify the victims and investigate the cause of the fire,” it said in a statement.

State Governor Eduardo Leite said the fire, which broke out at about 2:00 a.m. (0500 GMT), left him “deeply disturbed.”

“The fire department dispatched five trucks and dozens of firefighters to control the fire,” he wrote on Twitter.

“We will continue to work on the investigation into the consequences and causes of this tragedy. My condolences to the families of the victims.”

Pictures in Brazilian media showed the three-storey building engulfed in flames as firefighters struggled to extinguish them.

Mayor Sebastião Mello wrote on Twitter that several injured victims were rescued and taken to hospital, but did not say how many were injured. Local media reports put the number of injured at 11, some of whom are in critical condition.

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