'A Truly Profound Tragedy'

Updated 4:32 p.m. -- Vice President of Student Affairs Dennis Pruitt expressed condolences and relayed those of President Andrew Sorensen at a news conference Tuesday.

"President of the University Dr. Andrew Sorensen, this morning did make contact with he families of those who are believed to have perished…offering sympathy and condolences," Pruitt said.

Delta Delta Delta President Lauren Hodge and Sigma Alpha Epsilon President Jay Laura also spoke about the accident that killed 6 sorority and fraternity members.

"It's times like these that I am reminded of how lucky I am to live in the state of South Carolina, attend the University of South Carolina and be a part of Sigma Alpha Epsilon," Laura said.

Due to the increase in the number of calls, phones lines have been added and the hours extended at the Counseling and Human Development Center.

Resident advisers have been instructed to treat the situation as a triage and extend themselves to their residents and make referrals to professionals as necessary, Pruitt said.

The painted Gamecock on Greene Street will serve as place for students to leave cards, flowers and other mementos.

Reverend Timothy Lijewski of the St. Thomas Moore Center said he was working with Lutheran Minister Frank Anderson, Tim Stewart of the Baptist Collegiate Ministry, Tom Wallace of the Methodist Student Network and Wendell Estep of the First Baptist Church of Columbia in counseling students.

Lijewski and Psychologist Rhea Merck of the CDHC were present at the press conference.

A USC freshman was upset at Sunday's mass, Lijewski said.

A four-alarm fire swept through a beach house in Ocean Isle Beach, N.C., Sunday morning, killing seven, including six USC students, and injuring six more.

Of the 13 students in the house, 12 were from USC, said Dennis Pruitt, vice president for student affairs, in a news conference Sunday. The other individual was from Clemson University.

Six people from the house were taken to Brunswick Community Hospital, and all six were released after treatment, spokeswoman Amy Myers said.

Witnesses said investigators were removing bodies from the gutted remains of the home at 1 Scotland St. early Sunday afternoon.

"It's a very sad day for the USC family and a very sad day for the parents of these students," Pruitt said.

USC President Andrew Sorensen was in Washington, D.C., when he heard the news. He returned to campus for a news conference later Sunday night.

"When any one piece of our family is lost, we are all diminished," Sorensen said.

Pruitt said the USC students came from the Sigma Alpha Epsilon fraternity and the Delta Delta Delta sorority, though Pruitt insisted that this was a gathering of friends, not an official fraternity or sorority function.

The university has not confirmed the identities of any of the victims or survivors, adding that many of the houses on the block were occupied by college students, which made identifying the survivors difficult, Pruitt said, adding that it may be two or three days before names are officially released.

USC officials have been cooperating with North Carolina state law enforcement to identify the individuals involved.

Jerry Brewer, associate vice president for student affairs, flew to North Carolina Sunday afternoon to meet with local law enforcement agents.

"All of our efforts are going to help students here," Pruitt said, adding that the first priority is to make sure the students most affected have the proper counseling.

Students can seek counseling through their residence hall advisers, and the "counseling center is prepared to respond to students," Pruitt said. Pruitt declined to name times or places for the sessions, as they are meant to be private.

Group counseling sessions took place at South Tower and the Greek Village on Sunday night.

Sorensen called on the community and student body to keep the victims and their friends and families in their thoughts and prayers.

"Please pray for and think about all of the families. Support one another and be sensitive to one another. Be sensitive to the people who feel depressed or disturbed. These are normal reactions, but they need to be addressed," Sorensen said.

A vigil is tentatively scheduled for 7:30 Tuesday night on the Horseshoe.

"It's terrible to see somebody's children come out of that house this way," Bob Alexander said, who lives next to the home on Scotland Street.

Nick Cain, a student at the University of North Carolina who was staying at a house about 100 feet from the fire, said the home was "totally engulfed" a little before 7 a.m.

"The house is standing, but it's totally gutted," Cain said. "We ran down the street to get away. The ash and the smoke were coming down on us. We were just trying to get away."

Alexander said parts of the home's frame were still visible, but "there's nothing usable left. It's completely destroyed."

The Associated Press contributed to this story.

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