NEW YORK, Jan. 10 (Xinhua) At least 19 people, including nine children, lost their lives in a major fire in New York City on Sunday, New York City Mayor Eric Adams confirmed.
“We’ve lost 19 of our neighbors today. It’s a tragedy beyond measure. Join me in praying for those we lost, especially the 9 innocent young lives that were cut short,” Adams tweeted.
Adams said earlier on Sunday that the fire, which broke out in a residential apartment high-rise building at 333 East 181st Street in the Bronx, was horrific.
“This is a horrific, horrific, painful moment for the city of New York, and the impact of this fire is going to really bring a level of just pain and despair in our city,” he told reporters.
Thirty-two people were sent to hospital in life-threatening conditions. In addition, nine people were also seriously injured and 22 others sustained non-life-threatening injuries, said Adams.
New York City Fire Department Commissioner Daniel Nigro, who was at the scene together with Adams, said the fire broke out in a duplex apartment on the 2nd and 3rd floors of the apartment building.The door of the apartment was left open, enabling the fire and smoke to spread quickly in the 19-story building. Victims were found on every floor and in stairwells, said Nigro.
The cause of the fire, which is “unprecedented” in New York City, remained unknown, he said.
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