Youth team player tells how he desperately tried to break windows to save teammates as 'air conditioner started fire' that killed 10 teenage footballers in Rio training centre
- The fire at the training ground of Brazilian club Flamengo and killed 10 teenagers
- The fire broke out at Ninho do Urubu, a state-of-the-art training facility
- Reports suggest the fire broke out in a dormitory where youth players sleep
- The property where the players were lodging turns out to have been unlicensed
- Youth team players speaking in Brazil told how they tried to save teammates
The 10 teenage victims of a fire that swept through lodgings at a football training centre have been named.
They were killed when the fire spread around the unlicensed lodging at the training centre of Rio de Janeiro soccer club Flamengo on Friday with one youth team player saying the fire started from an air conditioner in his room.
'The air conditioner caught fire and I ran out,' said Felipe Cardoso, a player with the under-17 side. 'Thank God I managed to run and I'm still alive.'
Other youth players told media in Brazil that they desperately tried to break windows to save their colleagues.
One Flamengo minor told TV camera he tried to 'break the windows to try to save the athletes,' but that 'they seemed faint.'
He and others were able to save three people; Jhonata Ventura , Francico Dyogo and Cauã Emanuel.
A fire at the training centre of Rio de Janeiro-based football club Flamengo has killed 10 people
He also reported hearing a large explosion and seeing a security guard tackling the initial blaze with a fire extinguisher.
Another young man reported in testimony that at around 5 o'clock he woke up "bothered by the smell of burning and the room temperature too high."
He said he felt a hot steam on his face when he realised that the air conditioning was on fire.
The teenager still tried to get water from a fountain to put out the fire, but realised that would not be enough since the flames were so high, according to O Globo in Brazil.
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All the youngsters were members of the club's youth team and three more players were injured, one of them seriously, according to reports.
All 10 of the dead were aged between 14 and 16 and either played for the club or were having trials there, according to detailed information on Brazil's Globo website.
The three injured players were taken to hospital, one of them in serious condition with burns across 30 per cent of his body, Flamengo said in a short statement.
Club president Rodolfo Landim told reporters this was 'without a doubt the worst tragedy this club has been through' in its 123-year history.
A Flamengo soccer fan reacts in front of the club's training center after the deadly fire
The fire broke out at Ninho do Urubu, a state-of-the-art training centre, on Friday morning
The age and identity of those killed were not released but the three injured were 14, 15 and 16
'The most important thing now is for us to try to minimise the pain and suffering of these families'.
Club legend Zico wrote on Instagram: 'What a shock getting this news here on the other side of the world.
'May the Red-and-Black nation have strength and faith to get through this moment.'
This followed tributes from former players, Ronaldinho and Vincius Jr, current Real Madrid starlet.
The Rio de Janeiro mayor's office said the dormitory destroyed by the blaze was built on land that was not registered for buildings and that the club had no permission to erect lodgings there.
'On the project protocol the area is described as a parking lot,' the office said in a statement.
'There is no register of a new request for a license to use the area as a dormitory.'
A fire truck is seen in front of the training centre as onlookers gather to see what has happened
People wait for information in front of the training complex after the devastating incident
Members of the public looked distraught as they arrived at the scene of the blaze on Friday
People wait for information in front of the training centre as fire staff continued their work
The 10 players were named late on Friday as Arthur Vinicius de Barros Silva Freitas, 14 (defender), Athila Paixao, 14 (attacker), Bernardo Pisetta, 15 (goalkeeper), Christian Esmerio, 15 (goalkeeper), Gedson Santos, 14 (midfielder), Jorge Eduardo, 15 (left wing), Pablo Henrique, 14 (midfield), Samuel Thomas Rosa, 15 (right-back), Vitor Isaias, 15 (forward) and 16-year-old defensive midfielder Rykelmo Vianna, 16.
Firefighters said they arrived at the Ninho do Urubu, a state-of-the-art training centre that was expanded and opened only two months ago, shortly after 7am to find the building engulfed in flames.
News reports said the fire happened in one of the older parts of the centre that was due to be torn down. It was not known whether smoke alarms were installed in the building, which had a metal roof that appeared bent and charred by the blaze.
Thirteen people managed to escape the burning building, but the ferocity of the fire prevented firefighters from entering the facility.
'We managed to rescue the victims that were outside,' fire service Lieutenant Colonel Douglas Henaut told reporters. 'The place was completely overtaken by fire. As much as we tried to get inside and find people still alive that wasn't (possible) ... We only found bodies inside.'
The club tweeted a picture of the club's badge with the message: 'Flamengo is in mourning'
Members of the public were embracing outside as a fire engine is parked at the entrance
'We can't tell you the cause of the fire, that needs to be investigated,' he added.
This is despite the youth player telling reporters that a faulty air conditioner was the cause of the blaze.
The complex on the edge of the city was blocked off to the press, with dozens of reporters and TV crews waiting outside the gates. Fans also gathered to wait for news.
One boy was reduced to tears and used his t-shirt to sob into as he stood outside the facility
Ronaldinho sent his 'heartfelt feelings to all the family and the red-black nation' on Twitter
Vinicius Junior tweeted: 'What sad news! Let us pray for all! Strength, strength and strength'
'I'm very sad,' said 16-year old Augusto Mateus, who turned up wearing a red Flamengo shirt. 'There were lots of brilliant talents who had exciting futures ahead of them.'
Brazilian clubs commonly host young players in dormitories while they are training with youth teams or at the club for trials, especially those from poor backgrounds or from outside the city.
However, many of the lodgings have a reputation for poor health and hygiene standards. In recent years, major clubs such as Vasco da Gama, Botafogo and Parana have hit the headlines due to the precarious conditions of their training centres.
After years of financial difficulties, Flamengo last year spent 23 million reais (£4.8 million) to expand the Ninho do Urubu training ground, which was being used both by the first team and youth squads.
In addition to accommodation for young players, the facilities include several pitches, an aquatic park, a gym, a medical centre and a mini-stadium.
The Ninho do Urubu, or Vulture's Nest, gets its name from the club's symbol - a vulture.
He added: 'Just remembering the nights and days I spent at the training centre, it gives me goosebumps. 'I still can't believe it but praying for all. God bless everyone's family.'
Flamengo is one of the best-supported clubs in Brazil and is well-known around the world
Friends, fans and journalists stand at the entrance of the Flamengo training centre in Rio
Several of the club's best-known young talents trained there, including midfielder Lucas Paqueta, who made his debut for AC Milan in January, and Vinicius Junior, who joined Real Madrid last year.
'What sad News! Praying for everyone! Strength, strength, strength,' Junior wrote on Twitter.
Flamengo, where World Cup players such as Zico, Junior and Leonardo got their start, is one of the best-supported clubs in Brazil and known around the world.
Known by fans as the Red-and-Black, they won the Copa Libertadores, South America's version of the Champions League, in 1981 and lifted the Intercontinental Cup a few months later.
Teams from around the world, including Rio rivals Botafogo, Fluminense and Vasco da Gama, tweeted their solidarity and offered help that included psychologists and medical staff.
Officials postponed Saturday's two semi-finals of the Guanabara Cup, one of which was between Flamengo and Fluminense at the famous Maracana stadium, host of the 2014 World Cup final.
