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| Thousands honour US firefighters | Thousands honour US firefighters |
| (31 minutes later) | |
| A memorial service is taking place in South Carolina for nine firefighters killed in a blaze on Monday. | A memorial service is taking place in South Carolina for nine firefighters killed in a blaze on Monday. |
| The men died when a fierce fire caused the roof to collapse at a furniture store and warehouse in Charleston. | |
| A day of mourning has been declared in the town, marking what was the biggest single loss of life in the US fire service since the 9/11 attacks in 2001. | A day of mourning has been declared in the town, marking what was the biggest single loss of life in the US fire service since the 9/11 attacks in 2001. |
| Thousands of firefighters have also come from across the US and Canada to pay tribute to their comrades. | Thousands of firefighters have also come from across the US and Canada to pay tribute to their comrades. |
| The service, taking place in a 9,000-seat arena in the town, was also to be broadcast to giant screens outside and in a nearby convention centre. | The service, taking place in a 9,000-seat arena in the town, was also to be broadcast to giant screens outside and in a nearby convention centre. |
| 'Affects us all' | |
| Speaking at the ceremony, Charleston Mayor Joseph Riley paid tribute to the town's "nine heroes" and their courage and dedication to public service. | |
| The store and the warehouse were gutted by Monday night's fire | |
| The men, who worked together and were friends, ranged in age from 27 to 49. | |
| "When we lose one, it affects us all," Virginia firefighter Lt James Diego, who had travelled with several colleagues to Charleston for the service, told the Associated Press news agency. | |
| "Most of us have suffered some sort of loss in our careers, and it's a way to pay back the people who supported us when we had a line-of-duty death." | |
| Also among those expected to attend were two Republican presidential hopefuls, New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani and former Arkansas Governor Mike Huckabee. | |
| A procession of about 100 fire trucks passed through the town before the start of the service. | |
| Investigations into the cause of the fire and the sudden roof collapse are continuing. | Investigations into the cause of the fire and the sudden roof collapse are continuing. |