Officials said the seven bodies were recovered from the site of a powerful explosion at a chocolate factory in a small town in eastern Pennsylvania.
West Reading Mayor Samantha Kaag said in a statement Sunday night that none of the victims will be released until officials are sure all families have been contacted.
“Please understand that this is a devastating loss, but we are really grateful for the families involved to be closed in the coming days,” Kaag said.
Police Chief Wayne Holben said in a news conference just after 9pm that rescue workers found the bodies earlier in the evening and they are believed to be the two remaining people who were listed as missing earlier in the day. He said their identities will be confirmed by the Coroner’s office in Berks County.
Holbein said one of the victims was found around 6:50 p.m., and the other around 8:20 p.m. This brings the total number of people killed in the blast to seven.
Kaag earlier confirmed to the Associated Press that the fifth body was found Sunday morning by first responders and her death confirmed by the Berks County Coroner’s Office. Kaag said the coroner was unable to confirm the person’s identity.
West Reading Police Chief Wayne Holben confirmed the body of a fourth victim was found under the rubble early Sunday at the RM Palmer Company plant in the West Reading neighborhood, about 60 miles (96 kilometers) northwest of Philadelphia.
Holben asked for continued prayers from the community and vowed that rescuers and officials “will not rest until every person affected by this tragedy has been accounted for” from the blast, which occurred just before 5 p.m. on Friday.
Rescue teams were using thermal imaging equipment and dogs to search for possible survivors after the blast destroyed one building and damaged a nearby building. Holben said work crews were using heavy equipment to methodically and carefully haul debris from the site.
Kaag said three buildings around the site would be gutted as a precaution.
“This does not mean that it will be demolished or uninhabitable,” she said. “Simply put, there is still work happening around them as we move forward and they will need to be considered further by structural engineers.”
Borough Fire Chief Chad Muir said Saturday night that the chance of finding survivors is “declining rapidly” because of the force of the blast and the amount of time that has passed. Officials “are still hoping to get at least some answers and get some recovery so that people can feel this reassurance and this closure,” Kaag said.
Officials said they had no update on the condition of a woman who was pulled alive from the rubble early Saturday morning. Kaag said she was apparently on the second floor and was found in a “hopeful circumstance”, and she called out to rescuers despite her injuries after being found by a dog.
Officials also reported a lack of updates on the conditions of those hospitalized. Reading Hospital said it had admitted 10 patients and transferred two to other facilities, while two others were admitted in good and fair condition respectively and the others were discharged.
RM Palmer said in a statement Saturday afternoon that everyone in the company was “devastated” and that it was reaching out to employees and their families through first responders and disaster recovery organizations because its communication systems were down.
Kaag, a volunteer firefighter, said rescue crews were working 12- to 16-hour shifts and were so dedicated to continuing the search that “you have to pull them away at this point” to switch and get some rest.
Governor Josh Shapiro visited the site on Saturday and pledged the state’s support.
Kaag said some residents reported damage to windows from the blast, and she asked people to “walk around your house” and report any damage.
State and local fire investigators continue to examine the site to try to determine the cause of the explosion.