Tuesday June 19, 10:43 PM    
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Nine US firefighters die in worst event since 9-11*

Nine firefighters were killed battling a blaze in the southeastern state
of South Carolina on Tuesday, marking the most US firefighters to die in
a single event since the September 11, 2001 attacks, officials said.

The firefighters died when the roof of a Sofa Super Store and warehouse
collapsed on them in Charleston, South Carolina, the city's mayor said.

"They extinguished the fire and they lost their lives fighting for the
safety of our citizens," mayor Joseph Riley told a news conference.

"To lose nine is just a tragedy of immense proportions," he said.

The cause of the blaze remained unknown, but Riley said officials did
not suspect arson. The fire broke out Monday evening.

Tom Olshanski, spokesman for the US Fire Administration, confirmed that
the deaths were the most for the US fire service since 9/11, when 343
firefighters were killed when responding to the fires in World Trade
Center in New York.

"It's the single worst loss of firefighters' lives since 9/11,"
Olshanski said, adding that families of the dead were still being notified.

"It's a very somber reminder of the dangers of the jobs that we do," he
said.