( Observer Network ) On the morning of January 9 local time, a sudden fire swept across a 19-storey residential building in New York, USA, killing at least 19 people, including 9 children and injured 63 others. Preliminary investigations show that the fire may have arisen due to a heater failure. Most of the residents on the floor of
are Gambian immigrants. According to residents and others, there is a lack of effective fire alarm in the building, and there is also a lack of supporting facilities such as automatic sprinkler fire extinguishing system and fire passages. A firefighter who participated in the rescue lamented: "There are bodies being carried down on every floor. This is the worst fire I have seen in 30 years."
On the morning of January 9, a fire broke out in a residential building in the Bronx, New York, USA. Photo from social media
According to the " New York Post ", the apartment building where the fire broke out is located in the Bronx district of New York City. It was built in 1937. It has 19 floors and 120 residents. Most of them are Gambian immigrants and is a large Muslim community. The fire broke out in a duplex house spanning two or three floors. At that time, the heater in the bedroom broke down, causing a fire. Because the door was not closed, the smoke quickly spread throughout the building.
Fire Scene
38-year-old Dilenny Rodriguez, who lives on the ninth floor with her family, said she could hear the screams of the kids echoing throughout the apartment as she escaped with her own children.
"I heard a lot of children shouting, 'Help! Help! Help!' It was very dark at the time, and the smoke was really serious. The children cried and asked for help," she said.
27-year-old Cristal Diaz, who lives on the 15th floor, said: "When I smelled smoke, I was drinking coffee in the living room. Then we started wet towels and put water into the bottom of the door. Everything was crazy. We didn't know what to do. When looking out of the window, we saw them taking the bodies with blankets."
Her niece, 13-year-old Alanie, said: "We saw moms faint, they saw their children die. We saw a pile of bodies transported out. My childhood (playmates) were all dead."
Fire scene
On the morning of January 9, after the fire broke out, the 48th fire brigade was the first to respond, but was short of staff because of the epidemic.
"They only have four firefighters, not the five they asked for because someone got the coronavirus," said Andrew Ansbro, chairman of the Uniformed Firefighters Association, New York City, the worst fire in New York since 9/11.
"This is the case in many of the first teams," he said. "If there is enough staffing, the fire can be put out faster and people will get medical assistance faster." However, officials at the New York City Fire Department (FDNY) denied this, claiming that it was adequately staffed.
About 200 firefighters arrived at the scene at around 11 a.m. on Sunday, but the fire was put out more than an hour later.
Rescue Site
Fire killed at a total of at least 19 people, including 9 children. Stefan Ringel, a senior adviser to Mayor Eric Adams, said the children who died were 16 years old or younger. In addition, a total of 63 residents were injured, of which 32 were in danger of life, 9 were seriously injured, and 22 were not in danger of life. Most of this is smoke inhalation and a “mass death” is expected, said Daniel Nigro, a New York City Fire Department Commissioner.
Nigro said firefighters arrived at the scene three minutes after receiving the call, when the corridor of the building was engulfed by flames. "The smoke spread throughout the building, which was completely unusual. Firefighters found victims in the stairwells on each floor."
On January 9, 2022, a fire broke out in a high-rise apartment building in the Bronx, New York City, USA. Pictured from Oriental ICh
Preliminary investigation shows that this fire may have arisen due to a heater failure. According to the description of the building's residents, the severe fire may also be related to the lack of effective alarms and fire access supporting facilities.
A resident in the building told the New York Post that the reason why people did not escape from the building was because the fire alarms in the building were always ringing for no reason.
"The fire alarm in the corridor keeps ringing, at least twice a week," the 18th floor resident said. "I don't know if it's a problem, or (the hell) what's the problem, but it keeps ringing."
He said: "Third, fourth, fifth...people (always) continue their day until they see smoke."
According to AP , 13th floor resident Luis Rosa said he was awakened by the fire alarm, but at first disagreeing, thinking it was another false alarm from the building.
He only began to worry after hearing the sirens in the distance, but at this time the smoke was too thick to escape.
Rosa said: "We can't run down the stairs because if we run down the stairs, we will suffocate to death. All we can do is wait."
Democrat Ritchie Torres of the area also said: "There is no guarantee that every apartment or every public area has an effective fire alarm. Most of these buildings do not have an automatic sprinkler system. Therefore, housing in Bronx is more prone to devastating fires than most housing in the city."
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