May 19 (UPI) — Officials on Friday found two bodies believed to be missing construction workers at a Charlotte, N.C., construction site that burned Thursday in a five-alarm blaze that forced many to be rescued.
“This morning, Charlotte fire investigators discovered the remains of two bodies at the site of yesterday’s 5-alarm fire at the 7700 block of Liberty Row Rd.,” the Charlotte Fire Department said in a statement posted to Twitter Friday.
“Charotte firefighters retrieved the bodies, which have been transported to Mecklenburg County Medical Examiner’s Office. The medical examiner’s office will make positive identification and notify the next of kin. The officers and members of the Charlotte Fire Department send our deepest condolences to the family, friends and loved ones affected by this tragedy,” the fire department said.
A parking garage and residential apartment building, both under construction, caught fire Thursday. Firefighters arrived on the scene shortly after 9 a.m. but the two-alarm fire quickly grew into a five-alarm conflagration an hour later.
On social media, firefighters posted video of flame and smoke pouring out of the burning structure. The fire spread to a nearby apartment building that also was under construction and caused multiple smaller fires in other structures.
A worker had to be rescued from the top of a crane and 15 workers were rescued in total, according to Fire Chief Reginald Johnson.
According to Johnson, the fire appeared to start near a spray foam insulation trailer and spread quickly because of exposed wood at the construction site.
Alex Eyssen, the senior management director for Mill Creek Residential, which operates the complex, shared a statement with NBC saying they were concerned about the missing workers.
Upi.