Post by PUMP on Mar 8, 2007 4:58:09 GMT -5
BRONX BOROUGH NEW YORK CITY, NY
BOX AREA 66-33-2389 HOUSE FIRE
NEW YORK - Eight children and an adult died and several others were injured in a devastating fire in a three-story home in the Bronx, said authorities who called it one of New York's deadliest blazes in recent memory.
Fire Department spokesman Seth Andrews confirmed the death toll early Thursday. The cause of the late-night fire had not been determined.
At least 10 people were hurt, six of them seriously injured. Four firefighters and one other emergency worker were hospitalized with minor injuries.
Witnesses and neighbors described a huge inferno that sent smoke billowing throughout the neighborhood.
Witnesses described a ghastly sight of a woman hurling children through broken windows in hopes of saving the kids from Wednesday night's inferno.
"All I see is just a big cloud of white dust and out of nowhere comes the first baby," said Edward Soto, who managed to catch two of the children thrown from the window.
All the while, screams of "help me, help me" spread through the three-story home, said Soto, who helped rescue the children with neighbor David Todd, 40.
Fatoumata Madassa, a relative of some of the residents, said four families lived in the brick building. She said they were largely immigrants from Mali, and that the four families have 17 children.
Madassa, who lives across the street, said she saw the fire, and her husband quickly ran to the blaze but there was too much smoke for him to help.
The fire was reported shortly after 11 p.m. Wednesday. It burned in the basement and first floor, Andrews said.
The neighborhood is in the south Bronx, not far from Yankee Stadium. The neighborhood has seen a bit of a resurgence in recent years as a growing number of people have moved away from the high real estate prices in Manhattan. But it is also home to many immigrants.
All the injured people were taken to local hospitals, Andrews said. At least two were taken to a burn unit for further treatment.
Firefighters had the blaze under control shortly after 1 a.m. Thursday, he said.
BOX AREA 66-33-2389 HOUSE FIRE
NEW YORK - Eight children and an adult died and several others were injured in a devastating fire in a three-story home in the Bronx, said authorities who called it one of New York's deadliest blazes in recent memory.
Fire Department spokesman Seth Andrews confirmed the death toll early Thursday. The cause of the late-night fire had not been determined.
At least 10 people were hurt, six of them seriously injured. Four firefighters and one other emergency worker were hospitalized with minor injuries.
Witnesses and neighbors described a huge inferno that sent smoke billowing throughout the neighborhood.
Witnesses described a ghastly sight of a woman hurling children through broken windows in hopes of saving the kids from Wednesday night's inferno.
"All I see is just a big cloud of white dust and out of nowhere comes the first baby," said Edward Soto, who managed to catch two of the children thrown from the window.
All the while, screams of "help me, help me" spread through the three-story home, said Soto, who helped rescue the children with neighbor David Todd, 40.
Fatoumata Madassa, a relative of some of the residents, said four families lived in the brick building. She said they were largely immigrants from Mali, and that the four families have 17 children.
Madassa, who lives across the street, said she saw the fire, and her husband quickly ran to the blaze but there was too much smoke for him to help.
The fire was reported shortly after 11 p.m. Wednesday. It burned in the basement and first floor, Andrews said.
The neighborhood is in the south Bronx, not far from Yankee Stadium. The neighborhood has seen a bit of a resurgence in recent years as a growing number of people have moved away from the high real estate prices in Manhattan. But it is also home to many immigrants.
All the injured people were taken to local hospitals, Andrews said. At least two were taken to a burn unit for further treatment.
Firefighters had the blaze under control shortly after 1 a.m. Thursday, he said.
