A major fire in the Bronx, New York City, killed 19 people, including nine children, on Sunday.
More than 200 firemen were dispatched to the scene of a five-alarm fire that started in a duplex unit on the third level of a high-rise on Sunday morning.
The structure is located in the Bronx’s Tremont neighborhood.
According to the New York City Incident Department, the fire injured over 60 persons.
Officials say at least 13 more people are in Bronx hospitals with life-threatening injuries.
According to police, many of the injured individuals were found on the upper floors.
During a press conference on Sunday afternoon, New York City Fire Department Commissioner Daniel Nigro said the victims were likely victims of severe smoke inhalation.
“This is likely to be one of the worst fires we’ve seen in the city of New York in contemporary times,” said New York City Mayor Eric Adams to reporters on Sunday.
Fire gushed out of many windows of the structure, according to dramatic photos shared on social media. Just before 11 a.m., the FDNY began getting calls from various individuals on upper floors.
The blaze has subsequently been extinguished.
A similar tragedy occurred in Philadelphia on Wednesday, when 12 family members, including eight children, were killed.
Prior to Sunday’s fire, New York City’s deadliest conflagration in more than 25 years occurred on December 28, 2017 in the Bronx.
