New York: 19 people, including nine children, have died in a massive fire that broke out in an apartment in the Bronx, New York City, allegedly caused by a faulty ‘electric space heater’. New York Fire Department (FDNY) Commissioner Daniel Nigro said Sunday that the second and third floors of the building were gutted in the fire. Mayor Eric Adams, Governor Cathy Hochul, and US Senator Charles Schumer arrived at the scene.
Stephen Ringel, a senior adviser to Mayor Adams, confirmed the death toll. He said that the children who lost their lives in the accident were 16 years of age or less. Commissioner Negro said that 13 people are hospitalized and all are in critical condition. Smoke entered the body of most of the victims while inhaling.
Mayor Adams described the incident as “horrifying” and said, “This is going to be one of the most horrific fires in modern times.” Firefighters found victims on every floor who had suffered a heart attack or were having trouble breathing.”
About 200 firefighters were dispatched to the spot on 181 Street at around 11 a.m. on Sunday, he said. The fire started on the third floor of the 19-story building, which later spread to the second floor, and gradually smoke filled the entire building.
Negro said that the cause of the fire is being ascertained. A few days ago, a house fire in Philadelphia killed 12 people, including eight children. At the same time, in 1989, 16 people lost their lives in a massive fire in a Tennessee apartment building.
