Fire in NYC building leaves 19 people dead, including nine children

Nineteen people were killed, including nine children, and dozens were injured in an apartment fire in the Bronx in New York on Sunday, one of the worst fire catastrophes in the city in 30 years.

According to officials, 32 people were hospitalized with life-threatening injuries and some 60 people were injured in total.

“The numbers are horrific. This is a horrific, painful moment for the city of New York. The impact of this fire is going to really bring a level of pain and despair in our city,” said Eric Adams, the mayor.

“This is going to be one of the worst fires that we have witnessed during modern times.”

The blaze started around 11 a.m. local time in the imposing 19-floor Twin Parks North West building which provided affordable housing units.

According to Press TV, Adams said a number of immigrants, many from Gambia, were caught up in the fire.

“This is a heavy immigrant community,” Adams said. “And we want to make sure the residents know that if you need assistance your names will not be turned over to ICE [Immigration Customs Enforcement], any other institution. We want people to be comfortable coming forward.”

The Fire Commissioner, Dan Nigro, said a “malfunctioning electric space heater” was the source of the blaze.

It started in a duplex on the second and third floors and only made it to the hall, he said, adding, however, smoke still spread to every floor of building, likely because the door to the apartment was left open.

Firefighters “found victims on every floor in stairwells and were taking them out in respiratory and cardiac arrest. That is unprecedented in our city,” Nigro said.

Almost all victims suffered smoke inhalation, not burns.

“This fire took its toll on our city,” Nigro said, comparing the blaze to the Happy Land social club fire, which claimed the lives of 87 in 1990.