UPDATED: Seven Dead, Investigation Continues in Flower Branch Apartment Complex Explosion (PHOTOS)

UPDATE 8/17/16 6 a.m. Montgomery County police confirmed that a seventh body was found in the debris of the Flower Branch Apartment building Tuesday, Aug. 16.

According to police, investigators have not identified the seven victims.

The investigation continues.

Update: Apt Fire Death Investigation-A Seventh Victim Located Deceased; Search and Recovery Efforts Continue Tmrw: https://t.co/F2eGFceSFW

— Montgomery Co Police (@mcpnews) August 17, 2016

UPDATE 8/15/16 2:30 p.m. Montgomery County police confirmed that a  sixth body was found in the debris of the Flower Branch Apartment building today.

According to police, investigators have not yet identified the six victims.

Police were also able to account for one of the missing persons, Oscar Armando Ochoa. Ochoa had moved from the apartments and was not in the building at the time of the fire, police said.

The investigation continues.

Update: Apt Fire Death Investigation-A Sixth Victim Located Deceased; Missing Person Ochoa Located Safe & Unharmed: https://t.co/vDgwwIHmRp

— Montgomery Co Police (@mcpnews) August 15, 2016

UPDATE 8/14/16 11:45 p.m. Montgomery County police confirmed that a fifth body was found in the debris of the Flower Branch Apartment building, Sunday afternoon.

Update: Apt. Fire Death Investigation- A 5th victim located deceased; search & recovery efforts continue tmrw: https://t.co/n5Kh8eZTWm

— Montgomery Co Police (@mcpnews) August 15, 2016

ORIGINAL POST

8/14/16 12:23 p.m. Four bodies have been recovered and a total of eight people remain unaccounted for after an explosion at the Flower Branch Apartments complex in Silver Spring, according to Montgomery County police.

“Due to the conditions we are note able to identify any of those people by gender, age, race, as of yet,” Montgomery County Police Assistant Chief Russ Hamill said at a news conference held at the Long Branch Community Center today with County and federal officials. Those bodies have been transported to the Chief Medical Examiner’s office in Baltimore.

Hamill also released the names and pictures of the eight missing people that police and investigators believe were in the apartment building at the time of the blast. Hamill said the those missing people have been identified through the help of family and friends.

Two children are among the missing. They have been identified as eight-year-old David Morales and three-year-old Fernando Josue Hernandez Orellana. The full list of missing residents is listed, below.

1. Saeda Ibrahim, age 41
2. Augusto Jimenez Sr., age 62
3. Maria Auxiliadorai Castellon-Martinez, age 53
4. Aseged Mekonen, age 34
5. Deibi “David” Samir Lainez Morales, age 8
6. Oscar Armando Ochoa, age 55 – NOTE: No photo available
7. Fernando Josue Hernandez Orellana, age 3
8. Saul Paniagua, age 65

“We need some help with [Oscar Armando Ochoa]. We have indications that he may have been in the building, however; nobody has come forward, family or friends to say that he is missing. He has a tenuous tie to the building, but that’s it. So we need some help identifying who is,” Hamill said.

Hamill also noted that  “all indications would be [that] the four bodies that have been transported to the Chief Medical Examiner, would be included within the eight individuals we’re identifying today.”

Police are asking that if anyone has information about the missing individuals to please immediately call Montgomery County’s 311 telephone line (240.777.0311 if outside of the County) or the police non-emergency line at 301.279.8000.

According to Montgomery County Executive Ike Leggett, a candlelight vigil for the victims is scheduled to be held at the Long Branch Library at 6 p.m. tonight.

You can watch the news conference in its entirety on the Montgomery County Police Department’s Pericope, below.

LIVE on #Periscope: Update On Flower Branch Apartment Fire https://t.co/hVF41VvfXO

— Montgomery Co Police (@mcpnews) August 14, 2016

About Maureen Chowdhury

Maureen Chowdhury is a multimedia journalist with Montgomery Community Media. She can be reached at mchowdhury@mymcmedia.org and on Twitter at @MediaMaureen. Maureen authors the blog Sound Check on MyMCMedia.

View all posts by Maureen Chowdhury