Teenager dies after being pulled from burning building, South Carolina coroner says
A South Carolina teenager died after being pulled from a burning apartment building Friday, according to the Oconee County Coroner’s Office.
Alexander “Alex” Zavaleta, an 18-year-old Westminster resident, died after a fire occurred in his South Spring Street home, the coroner’s office said in a news release.
Following an autopsy it was determined that Zavaleta’s cause of death was from smoke inhalation, the coroner’s office said.
At about 2 p.m. Friday, members of the Westminster Fire Department responded to the fire in the apartment complex, according to the release. They found an unresponsive Zavaleta on the kitchen floor and pulled him from the fire, the coroner’s office said.
CPR and resuscitation efforts were not successful and Zavaleta died at the scene, according to the release.
No other injuries were reported.
Information about the extent of damage to the apartment building was not available.
Information about where the fire originated also was not available, but the cause of the fire is under investigation, the coroner said. There was no word if foul play was suspected.
In addition to the coroner’s office and fire department, Zavaleta’s death is being investigated by the Westminster Police Department and the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division.
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This story was originally published October 14, 2024 at 1:13 PM.
