Ricardo Moraes/Reuters
RIO DE JANEIRO — At least 10 people were killed on Friday when a fire tore through a dormitory for young players at a training center in Rio de Janeiro for one of South America’s biggest soccer teams, firefighters and club officials said.
The blaze at the Flamengo club broke out in the early morning when many youth players, ages 14 to 17, were asleep. Three other people were injured, one seriously, and they were taken to a nearby hospital, officials said.
Flamengo is one of Brazil’s most popular soccer clubs, and some of the country’s biggest stars have played there, including Ronaldinho, who represented the country in two World Cups — including when Brazil won the trophy in 2002 — and also played for several high-profile clubs abroad, including Barcelona and Milan.