Death of Girl, 13, Raises Cafe Fire Toll

A 13-year-old girl died of her injuries, becoming the ninth victim of a fire that swept through a Dutch cafe in the town of Volendam, the mayor said. Dutch television, however, quoted a doctor at the main trauma center north of Amsterdam as saying the death toll was 10. With 17 people still in critical condition, the toll could rise, the doctor said. Mayor Frank Ijsselmuiden and his police chief would not speculate on the cause of the blaze, but some witnesses said they heard fireworks go off inside the cafe packed with New Year’s revelers. Dutch press reports said Christmas lights short-circuited and ignited pine boughs.