A fire in the US metropolis has taken 19 lives and left dozens more injured in a tragic accident in a 19-storey apartment building, British news portal The Guardian reports.
The tragic events in the Bronx in New York unfolded on Sunday, January 9. Almost all victims suffered smoke inhalation, not burns among the 19 victims, which included nine children.
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Thirteen people remained hospitalised in critical condition, authorities said late on Sunday afternoon. In all, more than five dozen were hurt.
The New York fire commissioner, Dan Nigro, noted that the fire started shortly before 11am in a duplex apartment on the second and third floors and spewed smoke through the building because a door was left open. Some residents said they initially ignored wailing smoke alarms because false alarms were so common in the building, The Guardian reports.
New York fire takes many lives as smoke spreads in 19-storey apartment building
