Rescuers dug frantically to free the two, who were among at least four firefighters trapped inside the building. At least 15 other firefighters were hospitalized with non-life threatening injuries.
The Cook County Medical Examiner's Office confirmed the deaths just before 11 a.m. Eastern time.
"Without warning the roof collapsed trapping four firefighters," Chicago Fire Commissioner Robert Huff said at a press conference. "Despite our best efforts at the scene and in the hospitals, two firefighters succumbed to their injuries."
Chicago Firefighters
Hoff identified the dead firemen as Edward Stringer and Cory Ankum. Stringer was a 12-year veteran firefighter.
Ankum, a 38-year-old father of three, was a three-year veteran of the Chicago police force when he switched careers and joined the fire department 16 months ago. His youngest child is just one year old.
Ankum's step-brother, Gerald Glover, a 25-year veteran of the fire department, said Ankum told him, "People don't respect police no more. I want to go into the fire department."
Chicago Firefighters
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