captioning sponsored by cbs >> quijano: the deadliest fire in oakland's history. authorities confirm dozens were lost when a party inside a warehouse erupted mes. we're learning more about the young victims and the building many warned was a fire trap. also tonight a series of reports from overseas. we're in rome for a european election some say could be bigger than brexit. we're in cuba to for the final farewell to fidel castro and aleppo, the city that could soon be recaptured by assad. plus the saga of the sequoia during a long legal battle the former presidential yacht has faded into squalor. what's being done to save this historic ship.

>> what's the status. >> the status of the vessel is we need to protect it immediately, get it through the winter. this is the cbs weekend news. >> quijano: good evening, i'm elaine quijano with the western edition of the broadcast. at least 30 bodies have been recovered from a converted warehouse that burned to the ground in oakland this weekend. officials expect to find more as they search what's left of the building. friday night it was packed with artists and musicians at a party. for some the only way out was a rickety make shift stair case. before the tragedy, there were complaints the warehouse was a cluttered fire trap. carter evans is at the scene. >> reporter: video from inside the warehouse dubbed ghostship shows the underground party just an hour before flames tore through the building. when it was over, the warehouse that what elaborately decorated with eclectic art, persian rugs

and musical instruments was reduced to rubble with what could turn out to be dozens of people trapped inside. >> from a fire perspective how dangerous was it? dorchlt even know how many people got out of that building firefighters are now going through the ashes one bucket at a time searching for victims according to balt all onchief melinda drayton. >> when we started we found the first one almost >> when i started last night, we found the first one instantaneously single victim. we found three grouped together, six grouped together, four grouped together and then another single. >> what does that tell you. >> we are looking at bodies on top of each other. it does not appear that they were able to get out of the second floor. >> people who lived here say the warehouse had been converted into dozens of artist studios with no sprinklers or smoke alarms. an advertisement online lists one for 500 a month.

oakland city councilman noel gallo confirmed today the building was never permitted as a residence and was under investigation. >> so councilman who should be held responsible? >> well, for one is the property, the he owns the facility. he clearly knew, he knows what the permit process is. he knows what the fire code is. >> do you think the city should be held responsible. >> at the same time, yes. absolutely. including all of us because we all know it. >> cbs news learned the district attorney has been here to review the scene himself. elaine, the next step would be for him to determine if any charges are to be filed either criminal or civil against the building owner. >> quijano: carter evans in oakland, california. thank you. mireya villarreal has more on the agonizing wait for loved ones of the missing. >> reporter: less than a mile from the burned outwear house family and friends gather hoping for any news. karen west knew 28 year old micah danemayer all his life. >> we vent heard from him through any social media or phone calls.

>> reporter: also missing 33 year old chelsea faith dollan. >> chelsea faith is someone who also mentored a lot of people. >> anyhar bhatt was standing feet away from the ghost ship warehouse when the fire started. several of his friends inside. 34 year old johnny igaz posted on his facebook page friday that he was set to form at the event but hasn't been seen since. >> johnny igaz really made a genuine attempt to lift everyone around him up. >> reporter: bhatt watched as the flames consumed the building. >> very quickly we realized a lot of people we knew were not coming out. >> i've been doing it for over 10 years. >> 36 years old joseph matlock known as joey casio, featured in this 2012 music segment, reported missing by his mother. chase wittenauer was also reported missing by friends after they saw an image of his car near the warehouse. so far the sheriff's department

has reached out to more than two dozen families with heartbreaking news. >> we have sat down with them. we have cried with them. we have spent hours and hours with them. >> as authorities work to recover and identify more victims, reality has set in. turning hope into reflection. >> all of these people were very warm and gentle. and had a really genius spark to what they did. that's why they were all together. >> reporter: over the past 24 hours, this is where families have come to try and find more information on their loved ones. the coroner is still trying to identify the bodies that have been pulled from the rubble. it is a difficult task for both the law enforcement involved and the families that are still waiting. elaine? >> quijano: mireya villarreal, thank you. officials in boston are investigating the cause of a 10 alarm fire in cambridge, yesterday. 15 structures were damaged or destroyed. up to 80 people are out of their

homes. one official said it is a miracle no one was killed. >> a victory in north dakota tonight for native american groups who have been fighting the construction of a controversial oil pipe-line. protestors cheered when they heard the army corp of engineers will not grant an easement for the pipeline to cross into the standing rock sioux reservation. the builders will have to reroute the pipeline. >> president-elect trump returns to the business of filling his administration tomorrow. over the weekend mr. trump shrugged off a diplomatic kerfuffle that started friday when he accepted a congratulatory call from the leader of taiwan. a gesture that broke recent tradition and upset china. last night mr. trump attended a villains and heroes costume party. his senior aide kellyanne conaway dressed up as super woman, mr. trump went as himself. >> today the pentagon announced the release of another prisoner from guantanamo bay. he was from yemen and sent to

west africa after officials determined after 14 years behind bars he was a low-level militant. 59 prisoners remain at guantanamo which president obama had promised to shut down. >> voters went to the polls today in two european countries. in austria a far right presidential candidate was on the ballot. in italy voters considered a package of reforms that could lead to their prime minister's resignation. seth doane is in rome. >> in austria redo of its presidential election the left- leaning candidate alexander van der bellen emerged the winner up against the far right populist norbert hover who hoped growing anti-establishment anger was in his favor. we were in vienna during the final days of paining. >> i think some of the rather right wing voters felt supported by the trump election. they feel like oh, you know, if the u.s. can do it, we can do it too. we can finally be against the establishment. >> conversely she told us

president-elect donald trump's surprise win motivated her to go out and campaign for the liberal candidate. van der bellen, today's winner. >> in italy today the choice was a simple si or no. but the constitutional changes in question were far more complex. italy's prime minister mateo renzi said voting yes deals a blow to bureaucracy, among other things the changes would centralize power and stream line the lawmaking process. the role of the senate would be reduced and the number of senators cut. >> you see change happening regardless of how this comes within yes, change is probably going to happen regardless of the wins yes or no. in one way or the other. >> you either change the constitution or you are looking at possibly a change in government. >> exactly. >> renzi initially vowed to step down if he didn't get these reforms. that no campaign has been vocal with the antiestablishment or five stars movement leading the

opposition, they say it is a power grab. many voters are not convinced either way yes or no. maria theresa told us. >> there is an italian expression, you either eat this soup or jump out the window and have no idea what is next. >> the translation, there is no good option. he said i lost and i say it outloud though he said i did it which a knot in his throat. seth doane, cbs news, rome. >> former cuban dictator fidel castro was laid to rest today in a private a private ceremony in santiago, cuba. it marks the ninth and final day of mourning on the island nation. manuel bojorquez is in havana. >> for all the pomp and circumstances of the public memorial on the island, the final ceremony for fidel castro was quiet and private. his ashes were buried at santa efehena cemetery, the resting

place of many revolutionary fighters and the icon of cuban independence. in attendance were mostly family members. it was a stark contrast from saturday night's massive rally in santiago known as the birth place of castro's revolution. thousands listened to cuban president raul castro eulogize his late brother. raul castro said the nation would commit to maintaining its socialist ideals and pass a law forbidding the naming of any street, parks or buildings after fidel. he said it is the way his brother wanted it. that may ring insincere to many cuban americans who believe castro's revolution was solely about monopolizing power, imprisoning opponents, taking away freedoms and forcing others into exile in the nearly five decades he ruled. now the question is whether the current castro regime and the incoming trump administration will build on the reestablishment of diplomatic ties between both countries or revert to distant neighbors.

elaine? >> manuel bojorquez in havana, cuba, thank you. >> coming up next, we're in aleppo. a city that could soon fall to syrian and russian forces. and later, how the presidential yacht, the sequoia descended into a rabid nest for raccoons. a rabid nest for raccoons. çó ñi

>> quijano >> quijano: syria's long and brutal civil war may be reaching a turning point. syria's largest city aleppo which was taken over in 2012 by antigovernment rebels backed by the united states is slowly falling back into control of the assad regime, debora patta is there. >> reporter: here in aleppo explosions can be heard day and night across the city. but it's increasingly a one- sided war with civilians and the rebel controlled east tract under constant fire.

>> for those that managed to escape to the government side, there is relief from the shelling, a hot meal and medical care. >> very different from the rebel held east where hospitals have been systemically destroyed and the government siege has resulted in desperate food shortages. the syrian government has been quick to bus people back home to recaptured areas, it might look like a standard rush hour commute except these green buses drive through wastelands of destruction. for these residents, this is the first time they've returned to eastern aleppo in years. mohammed abra abandoned his home in hanano four years ago. >> i can't find anything, he says. my house is in ruins and i really don't know what to do. >> but with the world's eyes on aleppo, it's easy to forget that the syrian war is not confined to this city alone.

>> syria and its ally russia unleashed the full might of their air power of cavranbell in ad lib killing dozens of civilians. the terror and chaos are captured here on amateur video just moments after the attack. air fire also rained down on a home with terrified children, some badly injured were evacuated in panic. >> we spoke to a syrian general who said that this is a fight to the bitter end. but opposition fighters are staying put and he said those who refused to leave face an inevitable death. debora patta, thank you. still ahead, 75 years after the attack on pearl harbor, a survivor story. >> quijano: wednesday is the survivor story.

>> quijano: wednesday is the 75th anniversary of the attack on pearl har >> quijano: wednesday is the 75th anniversary of the attack on pearl harbor which killed more than 2400 americans and drew the united states in world war ii. only five survivors of the attack are still living including 94 year old donald stratton of colorado springs. he arrived in hawaii this weekend for the commemoration. john blackstone has his story. >> the battleship arizona graces the back of donald stratton's classic truck. now at 94 he points out the anti-aircraft gun. >> right there.

>> where the 19 year old, he fought the japanese sneak attack on pearl harbor, december 7th, 1941. >> in less than two hours american naval power in the pacific has been paralyzed. >> they waived at us and smiled. >> they were waiving at you while they were shooting at you. >> that's right. they were firing but when could see the burst in the sky and they were way short. >> the arizona was one of eight battleships under unrelenting japanese air strikes. >> just a fireball, about 6 or 800 feet in the air and that just engulfed us. >> i was burned over 60% of my body. we were just actually burning a live. >> for nearly 75 years stratton said little about how he survived. and more than 1100 others on the arizona perished. but he has finally written a memoir, all the gallant men. it reveals things even velma,

his wife of almost 67 years had never heard. >> when i read the book, i cried. >> of the explosion stratton write, the flames found us. burning off our clothes, our hair, our skin. men stumbled around on the deck like human torches, each collapsing into a flaming pile of flesh. >> and makeup artist recreation of is hard to look at. >> how do you go on fighting or trying to survive with that amount of pain? >> well, it's self-preservation. i just pulled the skin off my arms and threw it down because it was in the way. >> you pulled the skin off your arms. >> it was pushed-- burned. >> recovery meant months of searing pain and surgeries, when doctors wanted to amputated his limbs, stratton refused. >> did you think were you going to make it? >> i don't think it ever entered my mind that i wouldn't. >> and he wouldn't be kept away.

little more than a year after pearl harbor, he reenlisted and fought in the pacific. >> did you think you had a score to settle? >> talk about a little revenge. a we had a job to do. >> over the years he has returned again and again to the arizona memorial. >> it is very sad it is a very sacred place. i lost so many ship mates that i da, st like going back and loss them all over again. >> have you managed to forgive japan. >> let's put it this way, 11,067 men out there on arizona sure as hell wouldn't shake hands with them so i'm not going to do it. >> wednesday on the 75th anniversary he will attend commemorations with his whole family including great grand children. john blackstone, cbs news. >> quijano: still ahead, for decades it was the floating white house. now it sits withered and rotted. the saga of the presidential yacht, the sequoia is next. s withered and rotted. the saga of the presidential yacht, the sequoia is next.

>> we close tonight in a virginia boat yard where a historic yacht used by eight presidents over the last century is rotting away. paulo reed has the saga of the sequoia. >> for more than 40 years it was the floating white house. u.s. presidents going back to 1933 boarded the sequoia to get away. here is herbert hoover with a sail fish he hooked on board.

an fdr with a smaller catch. nixon used the vessel the most for recreation but also for important business. he discussed the nuclear arms race of soviet leader leonid brezhnev there and after watergate decided on deck that he would resign. >> he asked the crew to turn off the lights and leave him alone. or he played god bless america for over 30 minutes at the presidential piano. >> matthew has been the ship's captain since 2010 when the boat was being hired for private charters. he says ownership of the sequoia has changed hands several times since 1977 when president jimmy carter decided the government no longer needed a high maintenance luxury yacht and sold it. >> i think it's very beautiful but i'm glad i as a taxpayer no longer have to help support it. >> the ship puttered along the potomac when a few years ago she was hauled out of the water for maintenance that is when the saga of the sequoia ran aground. slowly with each passing season she withered. >> we need to protect it immediately and get it through the winter.

>> the sequoia has been marooned in dry dock in southern virginia for four years. as you can see it is exposed to the elements and every drop of rain contributes to its decay. the damage isn't just on the outside, it the interior has faded into squalor. inside where jfk celebrated his last birthday, captain vilbas discovered a family of squatter. >> raccoons in the state room sit on the american flag. >> what kind of damage specifically did they do? >> well, there was a few rooms where the animals defecated on carpets, presidential carpets that our presidents spent time in with their families. >> so how did america's most famous yacht descend into a rotted raccoon's nest? during the past several years the sequoia has been at the center of a contentious legal battle, to decide its rightful owner and who should bear the cost to repair it last month a judge ruled a company that had already sunk a fortune into the ship could purchase it for zero dollars. but the company is now arguing

this boat load of troubles is worth millions less than zero. vilbas say this historic yacht deserves better. >> i spent hours, days, evenings, with and without family on board. when you spend that time on her, you know, it become an extension of yourself. >> the captain is determined to see the sequoia sail against once the litigation is settled. he says it will take more than money to return this ship to its former glory. >> the restoration of this ship will take 15 to 20 shipwrights trained in classic wood building, 10,000 plus hours within the plan is to bring the sequoia up to newport, rhode island to begin restoration, a process that could take up to three year, paula reed, cbs news, virginia. >> quijano: that's the cbs weekend news for this sunday. later on cbs, "60 minutes." i'm elaine quijano at cbs. for all of us, thank you for joining us and good night. captioning sponsored by cbs

captioned by live from the cbs bay area studios, this is kpix 5 news. >> it was quiet . it was heartbreaking. >> tonight, it is unprecedented. the plays that ripped through a dance party at a converted oakland warehouse is now the deadliest fire in the city's history.>> seeing things like this. this orange wall of fire. it felt like a monster. >> as incredible stories of survival emerge, we are also learning who didn't make it out. >> here is the latest information we have on the warehouse fire. 33 people are confirmed dead. seven have been positively identified. crews have searched about 40% of the burned-out building. alameda county da's office has

sent a criminal investigation team in order to provide evidence. dave victims range from teenagers to people in their 30s. >> investigators expect tromain on the scene of 31st and national for several days. we have a team of reporters of their tonight starting with jessica florez. >> reporter: the devastation here is unbearable. 33 confirmed dead and right now, fire officials say they have two priorities: reaching all of the victims, and preserving the evidence. bucket by bucket, fire crews dug through a maze of debris, recalling dozens of bodies. >> we do have children around 17 years old, possibly younger. >> we have delivered to the unacceptable and horrific news of losing a loved one to seven our families. >> reporter: among those notified, a first responder. >> this has very -- hit very close to home