A fire at a Bronx apartment building has killed at least 19 people, including nine children

A fire at a Bronx apartment building has killed at least 19 people, including nine children. A massive fire in a residential apartment building in the Bronx, New York City on Sunday killed 19 people, including nine children, in what Mayor Eric Adams described as one of the worst fires of modern times.

Bronx apartment building fire leaves 19 people dead, including 9 children

New York City Fire Commissioner Daniel Negro said early Sunday that the fire had sent 32 people to the hospital in critical condition. A total of 63 people were injured.

A "faulty electric stove" was the source of the fire, Nigro said at a news conference. The stove was in an apartment bedroom, and the fire consumed the room and then the entire apartment, he said.

The apartment door was left open and smoke spread through the building as residents left their unit, Nigro said.

“This is a horrible, horrible and painful time for New York City, and the impact of this fire will really bring a level of just plain sadness and despair to our city,” Adams said.

About 200 New York City firefighters responded to the blaze at the 19-story building at 333 East 181st Street. The fire started just before 11 a.m. in a duplex apartment on the 2nd and 3rd floors of the building, the FDNY said.

Firefighters were greeted by "very heavy smoke, very heavy fires" in the hallway.

Victims were found on the stairs on every floor of the building, many suffered cardiac arrest, and what Negro said could cause unprecedented loss of life. He said the injuries were mainly caused by smoke inhalation.

Negro said firefighters were still trying to rescue people in the building despite the nearly empty air tank. Some residents who tried to leave the building were unable to escape due to the amount of smoke.

FDNY posted several photos of the scene, including broken windows, as well as a ladder reaching the apartment window.

“It will be the worst fire of modern times in New York City,” Adams said.

“I am shocked to see a terrible fire in the Bronx today,” New York Governor Kathy Hutchul said on Twitter. "My heart goes out to the loved ones of those I have lost, to everyone involved, and to our heroic FDNY firefighters. All of New York State stands behind New York City."

The residential apartment that caught fire is 50 years old and has 120 units, according to construction data.

According to city records, there are no major construction violations or allegations against the building. In the past, minor infractions have been handled by the property and no structural infractions have been reported.

The fire in the apartment affected the Muslim and immigrant communities

Adams, along with many immigrants from the Gambia, a small country on the west coast of Africa, said the building that caught fire had a large Muslim population.

The mayor said that priority will be given to observing Islamic Janazah and funerals. Another is to find Muslim leaders to connect with the residents.

The names of people requesting government assistance will not be disclosed to Immigration and Customs law enforcement, Adams added.

"We want people to feel comfortable coming forward, and it's important to connect with those of us who are carrying this message and this word," Adams said.

Christina Farrell, New York's first deputy commissioner for emergency management, told CNN's Phil Mattingley Sunday that residents living in the building now live in a nearby college.

"We have all the residents here. We have been able to provide them with food, warm places, water, any short-term needs. People have brought their pets and so we are here. Tonight we are looking for a shelter for the people." Farrell said. "We are working with the Red Cross, we have hotel rooms and other resources. So we will make sure that every family has a warm and safe place to sleep tonight."

A service center will be set up on Monday, Farrell said.

"We hope that many of them will be able to return to their apartments in the next few days," she said. "However, for those who are missing in the long term, we will work with them and the state to provide them with adequate housing."

In a press conference on Sunday, Hochul said he met with survivors of the fire, including a mother who was the only survivor of his family.

"It is impossible to enter this house, where there are dozens of families in mourning, suffering, and I see it in the eyes of a mother who has lost her whole family." He says

As he prepares his new budget this week, Hochul says he will set up a compensation fund to help pay for fire victims' housing, burial expenses, and more.

"Tonight is a night of tragedy and pain, and tomorrow we will start rebuilding," said Hochul. "We are rebuilding their lives and giving them hope, especially for those who came from Africa [to] The Gambia in search of a better life in this vast part of the Bronx."

Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer also addressed the conference, saying a wide range of assistance was being considered at the federal level, including housing and tax assistance, as well as "immigration assistance" to "bring families together. ".