The remains of seven people reported missing after an explosion at a California fireworks factory have been recovered at the site, officials confirmed.
The storage unit, located in Esparto, a town about 40 kilometres northwest of Sacramento, exploded on July 1, causing a blaze that burned for days and leaving seven people unaccounted for, officials said on Wednesday.
People were urged to avoid the area for several days following the blast, which led to several other spot fires and the collapse of the warehouse.
In a statement on Friday, the Yolo County Sheriff’s office said coroners entered the site of the explosion. On Sunday, it confirmed the remains of seven people reported missing had been recovered from the scene.
The names of the victims will not be released to the public until family members have been notified.
“Out of respect for the families, the identities of the deceased will be withheld until formal identification is completed and next of kin have been notified. The Coroner’s Office continues to communicate directly with the families and will provide further updates as appropriate,” Sunday’s statement said.
According to NBC, family members of the missing had expressed frustration about the lack of answers regarding the whereabouts of their loved ones. Authorities had initially reported that it was unclear if there had been any injuries.
“Everything is very preliminary right now,” Esparto Fire Protection District Chief Curtis Lawrence said on Tuesday night.
One man, whose two sons were among the missing, told NBC that he lost hope when he saw footage of the explosion.
Matt Davis, undersheriff of the Yolo County Sheriff’s Office, told reporters last week that recovery efforts had been slow because fires were still burning and explosives remained on site for days after the initial incident, which hindered the emergency services from moving forward.
“I appreciate and understand how much you want answers,” he said.
In an update issued on Wednesday night, state authorities confirmed that seven people were unaccounted for and that a search operation was underway, while evacuation orders remained in place.
Experts used unmanned aircraft to scan the fire zone, locate the missing people and assess hazards in the area.
The fire was held at nearly 80 acres (33 hectares) by Wednesday morning after scorching surrounding agricultural fields, the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection said.
The Arson and Bomb Investigation Unit is heading the fire’s origin and cause investigation into the explosion and subsequent fire. As of Sunday, crews were continuing to mitigate explosive hazards present at the scene.