New York City’s worst fire in more than 30 years killed 19 people, including nine children, on Sunday. Dozens more were injured in the blaze that tore through a Bronx apartment complex.
The five-alarm blaze broke out in the Twin Park shortly before 11 a.m. More than 200 firefighters responded to the 19-story building on East 181st Street, according to the FDNY.
Approximately 200 FDNY members are operating on scene of a 5-alarm fire at 333 East 181 Street in the Bronx. There are currently 19 serious injuries to civilians. pic.twitter.com/R3pnXs8NlX
— FDNY (@FDNY) January 9, 2022
The FDNY said at least 63 people were injured. More than 30 people were taken to five different area hospitals with life-threatening injuries. Most victims suffered from severe smoke inhalation. FDNY Commissioner Daniel Nigro said firefighters “found victims on every floor and were taking them out in cardiac and respiratory arrest.”
He called the fire “unprecedented” for the city. The fire began in a duplex apartment spanning the second and third floors, Nigro said. Firefighters discovered the door to the apartment was open, allowing the fire to spread. The cause of the blaze is not believed to be suspicious.
Icy conditions made it difficult for firefighters to work, and it took the FDNY more than an hour to put it out.
“The impact of this fire is going to really bring a level of pain and despair in this city,” Mayor Eric Adams said during a press conference. He called the fire “a horrific, horrific, painful moment for the City of New York.”
Building resident Cristal Diaz, 27, told the New York Post that she grabbed her cousins and dog when she realized there was a fire.
“I was drinking coffee in the living room, and I started smelling smoke. We started putting water on towels and the bottom of the door. Everything was crazy,” Diaz, who lived on the 15th floor, said. “We didn’t know what to do. We looked out the windows and saw all the dead bodies they were taking with the blankets.”
Another resident, 65-year-old Christopher Carrasquilo, told the outlet that he ran back into the building to help save residents. He tearfully recounted bringing down a child stuck in the elevator, likening the tragedy to 9/11.
“They need fire escapes. They gotta put fire escapes,” he said. “The owner who owns this building gotta do something about it.” The FDNY said that buildings this tall do not have fire escapes.
Approximately 200 FDNY members are operating on scene of a 5-alarm fire at 333 East 181 Street in the Bronx. There are currently 31 serious injuries to civilians. pic.twitter.com/yrTYwOfonH
— FDNY (@FDNY) January 9, 2022
