How many people have died in the Bronx apartment fire?
A HORRIFIC fire broke out in a Bronx apartment building on the morning of Sunday, January 9, 2022. Officials have declared the event as “one of the worst fires” in New York City history. How many people have died in the Bronx apartment fire? At least 19 people, including nine children, died in an apartment […]
A HORRIFIC fire broke out in a Bronx apartment building on the morning of Sunday, January 9, 2022.
Officials have declared the event as “one of the worst fires” in New York City history.
How many people have died in the Bronx apartment fire?
At least 19 people, including nine children, died in an apartment building fire in the Bronx neighborhood of New York on Sunday.
“This is going to be one of the worst fires that we have witnessed during modern times,” said New York mayor, Eric Adams.
Senior Advisor to Adams, Stefan Ringel, confirmed the death toll on Sunday afternoon.
Along with the deceased, over five dozen people are injured with 13 still in critical condition at a local hospital, according to Ringel.
FDNY Commissioner Daniel Nigro spoke at a press conference following the tragedy, stating that a majority of victims succumbed to severe smoke inhalation.
Firefighters “found victims on every floor and were taking them out in cardiac and respiratory arrest,” said Nigro.
“That is unprecedented in our city. We expect there to be numerous fatalities.”
Most read in US News
What was the cause of the Bronx apartment fire?
Around 200 firefighters responded to the incident in the Bronx on January 9, 2022.
Read our Bronx apartment fire live blog for the very latest news and updates…
While no cause has been determined as of now, the fire is thought to have started in a third floor apartment around 11am ET.
According to Nigro, the fire is “not suspicious.”
Residents were seen “jumping from windows” and according to reports, around 19 were treated on the scene, while 33 were transported to the hospital for life-threatening injuries.
A firefighter was seen carrying a baby from the burning building to safety.
New York City’s Office of Emergency Management advised nearby residents on Twitter to “avoid smoke, close windows.”
The 19-story building is located near Tiebout Avenue in the Tremont section of the Bronx.
What has been said about the Bronx apartment fire?
According to Nigro, the Bronx fire is comparable to the 1990 Happy Land social club fire, which killed 87 people after a man set fire to the building.
“We started putting water on towels and the bottom of the door,” said apartment resident Cristal Diaz, 27, according to The Post.
“Everything was crazy. We didn’t know what to do. We looked out the windows and saw all the dead bodies they were taking with the blankets.”
The Sunday morning Bronx fire comes just a few days following a Philadelphia house fire that resulted in the deaths of 12 individuals, including eight children.
According to data from the National Fire Protection Association, the incident in Philadelphia was named the deadliest fire in a US residential in five years.
Previously, a 2017 Bronx apartment fire was considered the deadliest, with 13 residents dying at the time.