Fire at Brazilian soccer academy kills 10, injures 3

RIO DE JANEIRO — Fire tore through the sleeping quarters of an academy for one of Brazil’s most popular professional soccer clubs Friday, killing 10 people and injuring three, most likely teenage players, authorities said.

Firefighters were called just after 5 a.m. local time to the sprawling Ninho de Urubu training grounds of the Flamengo soccer club in Rio de Janeiro.

The cause of the fire was not known.

Those killed were not immediately identified by the club but they were athletes, a health official said.

Two of the injured youths were hospitalized in stable condition and one was in critical condition. The ages of the injured were 14, 15 and 16, according to a fire official.

Several people who appeared to be relatives entered the complex without speaking to reporters.