President Obama mourned the deaths in last weekend's warehouse fire in Oakland that killed at least 36, saying in a statement Monday that his administration was in close contact with local and state officials to monitor the response. Noting that Oakland is one of the "most diverse and creative cities" in the nation, Obama pledged the "unwavering support of the American people" as residents there recover. Authorities are investigating whether any criminal activity led to the fire, one of the worst in modern California history. Officials have said the warehouse was being investigated for possible code violations at the time of the fire. Some former residents described it as a cluttered “death trap” lacking fire sprinklers.

Source: Los Angeles Times December 05, 2016 17:37 UTC