At least 19 people are dead, including nine children, following a massive fire in New York City on Sunday, officials said.
According to the New York Fire Department (FDNY), approximately 200 firefighters responded to the scene at Twin Park Apartments, a 19-story building on East 181st Street. Photos posted online showed a rescue ladder extended to an eighth-floor window.
More than 60 people were injured in the fire, according to the New York City Fire Department.
Approximately 13 people are in Bronx hospitals with life-threatening injuries, officials said.
Thirty-two people were taken to five hospitals, and most of the victims suffered intense smoke inhalation, said FDNY Commissioner Daniel Nigro.
According to the Commissioner, the fire originated in a duplex apartment spanning the second and third floors. Firefighters found the apartment door open, he said, apparently allowing the fire to accelerate and spread smoke upward quickly.
The origin of the fire is not believed to be intentional, but the cause is still under investigation.
Sunday’s fire comes just days after a house fire in Philadelphia left 12 people, including eight children, dead
The residents consisted of a largely Muslim and Gambian population and will be aided by the city with particular consideration to cultural needs, Adams told ABC News.
The Bronx Park Phase III Preservation LLC, the name of the joint venture that owns building at 333 E 181st St., said in a statement that it was “devastated” over the tragedy that occurred.
Meanwhile in Pakistan, at least 21 people have died after heavy snow trapped them in their vehicles in the north of the country.
As many as 1,000 vehicles became stranded as would-be tourists reportedly rushed to view the winter snowfall in the hilltop town of Murree.
A policeman, his wife and their six children, as well as another family of five, are among the dead, according to local emergency services.
The military says it has rescued more than 300 people stranded by the snow.
An army spokesperson added that military engineers and troops had also started to clear roads leading to Murree.
Interior Minister Sheikh Rashid said the crisis had been caused by the number of people traveling to the area, north of the capital Islamabad. More than 100,000 cars had arrived in the colonial-era town in recent days, with social media in Pakistan flooded with pictures of people enjoying the snow.
By: Isaac Clottey
