A devastating fire has torn through an apartment building in New York City district the Bronx, leaving 12 people dead and four critically injured.
New York City mayor Bill de Blasio called the fire “one of the worst loss-of-life fires in many, many years“. Among the deceased is a one-year-old baby.
Tonight in the Bronx we’ve seen the worst fire tragedy in at least a quarter of a century. It is an unspeakable tragedy, and families have been torn apart. pic.twitter.com/0kCFMzxt79
— Mayor Eric Adams (@NYCMayor) December 29, 2017
De Blasio also admitted that the death toll may rise, saying: “The search of the building continues so we know that even though its horrible to report 12 are dead already, we may lose others as well.”
Over 160 #FDNY members are operating on scene of a 4-alarm fire, 2363 Prospect Ave #Bronx pic.twitter.com/wjN9mMqCHU
— FDNY (@FDNY) December 29, 2017
More than 160 firefighters battled the flames in freezing winter cold, the New York Fire Department reports. The blaze has now been entirely put out, with Fire Commissioner Daniel Nigro telling reporters that it started on the ground floor of the five-storey building and spread upwards from there. People lost their lives on every floor of the building, and are aged from one year old to 50.
While he said that it was “way too early to tell the cause” of the fire, he confirmed de Blasio’s assessment of its significance, saying, “As of now, this tragedy is without question historic in its magnitude.”
#BREAKING: Mayor’s office confirms at least 6 dead in #Bronx fire. @NYCMayor on the way to brief. #abc7ny pic.twitter.com/terR6u4pjh
— Josh Einiger (@JoshEiniger7) December 29, 2017
The four survivors are said to be fighting for their lives.
