Texas fire official confirms fatalities, injuries in a huge blaze at residential building

A huge fire destroyed a two-storey block of flats in Dallas, Texas on Thursday, causing fatalities and injuring at least four people. The search for the missing people is continuing, a fire official said.

The blaze sent huge plumes of black smoke into the sky and drew a massive firefighter response.

“There have been fatalities at this point,” Dallas Fire-Rescue Deputy Chief Mark Berry said at a news conference, adding the mission has changed from rescue to recovery. “Let us work through the recovery phase and get a total number.”

Dozens of firefighters searched through the smouldering rubble of the building on the outskirts of downtown Dallas on Thursday afternoon, even as colleagues continued to drench the blackened debris.

Berry said firefighters were responding to a call of a gas leak when an explosion happened.

“We had the cavalry coming,” Berry said. “But the explosion had already taken place.”