Three people died and several others were taken to the hospital Thursday after a fire broke out at a home in San Leandro, fire officials said. Firefighters were dispatched at about 5:30 a.m. to the blaze along the 2000 block of Altamont Road, the Alameda County Fire Department said. “Very di fficult fire, severe injuries to the occupants that were in the fire and a lot of damage to the house making it very difficult to determine the actual number of folks that were in the house and who’s been accounted for,” Alameda County Fire Department Chief Willie McDonald said. Nine people were in the house at the time the fire started, according to the fire department. Six of those people in the home were taken to a hospital for injuries including smoke inhalation and cardiac arrest. Two adults died at the hospital and a third person remains in critical condition. At around 5:30 p.m., fire officials said a “third” body had been removed from the home, but did not confirm the age of that third victim. Firefighters were searching for a missing child in the debris when they found the body. Firefighters also found the remains of a dog inside the home. Oakland 3 hours ago Oakland police ask public for help in finding missing teen Oakland Mar 11 Thieves ram cars into 3 Oakland gas stations in less than 30 minutes The house was fully engulfed in flames by the time firefighters arrived. Fire officials said conflicting reports from witnesses on how many people were inside the home at the time complicated matters. “Some people would stay overnight and come and go,” Alameda County Fire Department Public Affairs Manager. “So it’s really hard to say how many people and what the relationships between the folks are.” After cadaver dogs spent hours searching for a missing child in the burned out home, a coroner’s van arrived on scene leading neighbors to fear the worst. The cause of the fire is under investigation. Editor’s note: An earlier version of this story reported a 6-year-old child died in the house fire from information provided by the Alameda County Fire Department. This story will be updated as more information about the fire is released. ...read more read less