Lowell apartment fire kills seven
Flowers were left Friday next to a building on Branch Street that was the scene of an apartment complex fire that killed seven.
John Tlumacki/Globe Staff
| July 10, 2014
Ethen Lam , 7, who lives down the street, mourned his classmate Sayuri Sak.
Joanne Rathe/Globe Staff
| July 10, 2014
Minh Ngo Van lived in the complex. Two of his roommates were killed.
John Tlumacki/Globe Staff
| July 10, 2014
Residents of a nearby building sit on their front steps as they read the news about the fire.
John Tlumacki/Globe Staff
| July 10, 2014
Fire investigators continued to work the scene.
John Tlumacki/Globe Staff
| July 10, 2014
Officials conferred as they sought a cause for the blaze.
John Tlumacki/Globe Staff
| July 10, 2014
Investigators walked past a first-floor apartment unit.
John Tlumacki/Globe Staff
| July 10, 2014
The building had a variety store on the ground floor and apartments above.
John Tlumacki/Globe Staff
| July 10, 2014
Investigators worked on the second floor.
Joanne Rathe/Globe Staff
| July 10, 2014
Glory Buddhist Temple monk Tim Seouth carried books in the monk house. The temple held a memorial event Thursday night.
Joanne Rathe/Globe Staff
| July 10, 2014
Glory Buddhist Temple will be the location for Sunday memorial services for the victims of the fire.
Joanne Rathe/Globe Staff
| July 10, 2014
Members of the temple prepared the monk's daily offering in front of the altar.
Joanne Rathe/Globe Staff
| July 10, 2014
Monks from Glory Buddhist Temple led people away from the building Thursday.
Matthew J. Lee/Globe staff
| July 10, 2014
Buddhist monks chanted in front of the building with hundreds of people from the Cambodian community gathered at the scene.
Matthew J. Lee/Globe staff
| July 10, 2014
Earlier Thursday, a crowd waited for information outside the complex.
Lane Turner/Globe Staff
| July 10, 2014
A woman became angry while waiting for information.
Lane Turner/Globe Staff
| July 10, 2014
Residents comforted each other.
Lane Turner/Globe Staff
| July 10, 2014
Firefighters continued to work on the building hours after the blaze.
Lane Turner/Globe Staff
| July 10, 2014
Residents and family members waited for news.
Lane Turner/Globe Staff
| July 10, 2014
Family members were allowed inside police lines for a briefing.
Lane Turner/Globe Staff
| July 10, 2014
Thearan Sak spoke to media members outside the Red Cross shelter. He lost five family members.
Lane Turner/Globe Staff
| July 10, 2014
Neighbors watched from a second floor balcony across the street.
Lane Turner/Globe Staff
| July 10, 2014
The back of the building borders a cemetery.
Lane Turner/Globe Staff
| July 10, 2014
Geri Boyles of Lowell hugged her daughter, Corinna, outside the building.
Elise Amendola/AP
| July 10, 2014
Lowell Fire Chief Edward Pitta (left) Mass. State Fire Marshal Stephen Coan, and Middlesex County District Attorney Marian Ryan held a news conference.
Elise Amendola/AP
| July 10, 2014
Relatives and friends of missing people gathered outside of the building.
Claire McNeill/Globe Staff
| July 10, 2014
Loved ones consoled each other after the fatal three-alarm fire.
Wendy Maeda/Globe Staff
| July 10, 2014
Firefighters carried a body out of the apartment building in Lowell.
Wendy Maeda/Globe Staff
| July 10, 2014
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The fire broke out in a nine-unit apartment building on Branch Street early Thursday, according to a spokeswoman.
WENDY MAEDA/GLOBE STAFF
| July 10, 2014
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Officials said 48 people lived in the building, which had businesses on the ground floors.
WENDY MAEDA/GLOBE STAFF
| July 10, 2014
A firefighter worked on the top floor of the building after the fire.
Elise Amendola/AP
| July 10, 2014
Authorities described the fire as “fast moving.”
Wendy Maeda/Globe Staff
| July 10, 2014
Firefighters were on the scene throughout the day.
Elise Amendola/AP
| July 10, 2014
A state fire marshal talked on a cellphone at the scene.
Elise Amendola/AP
| July 10, 2014
Fire officials observed the scene.
Elise Amendola/AP
| July 10, 2014
Mayor Rodney M. Elliott (center, in a white shirt with a red tie) spoke at the scene.
Matthew J. Lee/Globe staff
| July 10, 2014
An overhead view shows the damage to the upper part of the building.
David L. Ryan/Globe Staff
| July 10, 2014
Another aerial photograph shows the entire structure.
David L. Ryan/Globe Staff
| July 10, 2014
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Flames shot out of the building, lighting up the street.
Micah S.
| July 10, 2014
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The fire engulfed much of the building’s upper floor.
Micah S.
| July 10, 2014
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Firefighters used a hose to battle the blaze.
Micah S.
| July 10, 2014
Bystanders watched the fire, which broke out when many were sleeping.
Van C. Nguyen
| July 10, 2014
Emergency personnel responded to the fire.
Courtesy of Amara Koam
| July 10, 2014