Fire at Flamengo's training center kills 10 people

A fire that swept through the training center of one of Brazil's biggest soccer clubs on Friday left at least 10 people dead and three others injured.

Various news agencies, including Reuters, said the blaze engulfed the dormitory at Flamengo's compound in Rio de Janeiro in the early hours of Friday morning.

The cause is under investigation, but a player with the under-17 side attributed the fire to an air conditioner.

"The air conditioner caught fire, and I ran out," Felipe Cardoso said, according to BBC News. "Thank God I managed to run and I'm still alive."

The public health secretary for the state of Rio, Beatriz Busch, told The Associated Press that the victims were young athletes. The injured are also believed to be teenagers.

"We are distraught," Flamengo president Rodolfo Landim told reporters, according to The Associated Press. "This is the worst tragedy to happen to the club in its 123 years."

Flamengo, which launched the careers of World Cup winner Zico and Real Madrid phenom Vinicius Junior, houses many young players at its Ninho do Urubu facility.

Brazilian clubs often provide accommodations to players from outside the city, although local sports columnist Juca Kfouri told The New York Times that living conditions are historically "atrocious."

Reuters said the club spent 23 million reais (around $6 million) to renovate the training center last year.