A serious fire accident broke out in a residential building in the New York borough of the Bronx, north-east of Manhattan. According to initial information from the emergency services, at least 19 people were killed. The local fire chief speaks of one of the worst fires in New York’s recent history.
Nine children among the victims
Nine children are among the dead, according to New York Mayor Eric Adams. At least 63 residents were injured, including at least 32 with serious injuries, Adams told CNN. According to the fire chief of the US metropolis, Daniel Nigro, most of the victims suffered from severe smoke inhalation. Some are in critical condition.
Police and fire brigade with a large contingent on site
The fire broke out on Sunday morning (local time) in the Twin Park Apartments, a 19-story residential building. Around 200 emergency services went out to extinguish the flames, as confirmed by the fire brigade. They “found victims in cardiac arrest and respiratory arrest on every floor and carried them out,” Nigro said. “This is unprecedented in our city.”
The fire ignited in a maisonette apartment that included the second and third floors, said the fire chief. 200 firefighters were on duty.
Broken heater as the cause of the fire
After the cause of the fire was initially unclear, fire department chief Daniel Nigro later named a broken electric heater as the trigger.
“It started with a defective electric space heater,” says Nigro. The fire spread through the apartment, which stretches over two floors. In addition, the door of the apartment at the bottom of the building was left open, allowing deadly smoke to spread throughout the 19-story building.
Videos on social media showed images of thick smoke billowing through shattered windows. Firefighters used ladders to get residents out of the home. According to Mayor Adams, firefighters continued to search for survivors even after they had run out of oxygen.
School serves as an emergency shelter
Hours after the fire in the heart of the Bronx, the scene of the accident was still illuminated by blue lights. Hundreds of police, fire brigade and special teams continued to search for clues. An adjacent school was opened for the fire victims to provide housing for the now homeless. The building is a block of flats for socially disadvantaged families with adjusted rents. The Bronx is the poorest borough of New York, with residents earning well below the average for the US east coast metropolis.
Fire chief: heaviest fire in the city’s recent history
Nigro spoke of one of the worst fires in New York’s recent history and compared its severity to the Happy Land fire in 1990 that killed 87 people. Back then, a man set fire to the building after getting into an argument with his ex-girlfriend and being kicked out of the club. Investigators are not assuming a crime in the fire at the Twin Park Apartments.
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