At least 12 people were killed in a blaze at a Bronx apartment building on Thursday night in what New York Mayor Bill de Blasio called the city’s worst fire tragedy in a quarter-century. The dead included four children: three girls ages 1, 2 and 7, and an unidentified boy. Four other people were critically injured when the fire broke out on the first floor of the five-story building shortly before 7 p.m. ET.
De Blasio described the fire as “an unspeakable tragedy,” and warned that the death toll could rise. “In the middle of the holiday season, a time when families are together, tonight here in the Bronx there are families that have been torn apart,” the mayor said. “Based on the information we have now, this will rank as one of the worst losses of life to a fire in many, many years.”
Firefighters rescued at least 12 people with first responders dealing with temperatures in the teens and wind making it feel like the single digits, NBC New York reported. Fourteen people were hurt, including about six firefighters and an emergency responder.
Fire Commissioner Daniel Nigro said that the blaze began on the first floor and quickly spread upstairs into the building, which has 25 apartments. Victims were found on various floors, he said.
Excluding the Sept. 11 attacks, it was the worst fire in the city since 87 people were killed at a social club in the Bronx in 1990.
Source: NBC news
