Soccer club to compensate families of 10 dead players

The Flamengo soccer club promised Monday to promptly pay financial compensation for the victims of a devastating fire that killed 10 young academy players, but its president refused to answer any questions on the apparent lack of proper licensing for the training center.

At a news conference held at the public prosecutor’s office in Rio de Janeiro, Flamengo president Rodolfo Landim did not take any questions from reporters on why the dormitory was registered with the city as a parking lot and why it did not have all the required fire safety certificates.

The speed at which the blaze spread has led many Brazilians to question the quality and solidity of the structure and whether it was properly equipped to house people.