A fire engulfed a dormitory at the youth team training centre of one of Brazil’s biggest football clubs, killing 10 people.

Six of the victims were young players and four were employees at Ninho de Urubu, the training ground of Flamengo Football Club in Rio de Janeiro, local media reported.

Three teenagers were also injured, one of them seriously. The cause of the blaze is not yet known.

Flamengo is one of Brazil’s biggest and best-known clubs internationally. They currently sit at second place in Brazil’s Série A table and have won the league five times.

Brazil football legend Pelé described the club as “a place where young people pursue their dreams”.

“It’s a very sad day for Brazilian football,” he tweeted.

Former Brazil star Ronaldinho offered his condolences for the “terrible tragedy” in a tweet on Friday morning.

The tweet reads, “A very big sadness, my condolences and heartfelt feelings to all the families and the red-black nation. Terrible tragedy!!!”

He published the club’s crest in black-and-white alongside the message.

None of the victims have been identified but the youth players are said to be aged between 14 and 16. One of the three injured, a 15-year-old boy, suffered severe burns and was transferred to a specialist hospital, reports said.