At least 19 people died Sunday and around 60 were injured in a building fire in the Bronx district of New York, the new mayor of the city, Eric Adams, announced on the spot.
“This is going to be one of the worst fires in our history. We know that we have 19 people deceased as well as several others in critical condition and more than 63 people injured
, ”the mayor of New York said live on television.
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Eric Adams confirmed to the American agency Reuters that
"children"
were among the deceased victims, without specifying the number.
Dozens of people were also injured during the tragedy, including at least 32 hospitalized.
According to the New York firefighters (FDNY), around 200 firefighters were dispatched to fight the fire, which took in an apartment in a 19-story building.
In footage circulating on social media, huge flames and thick black smoke billowed from a window of a multi-story building.
"This is going to be one of the worst fires we have ever witnessed in our time
," New York Times mayor Eric Adams said.
He attended, according to his official Twitter account, where photos of him alongside the firefighters were posted.
Another fire this week killed 12 people including eight children in a neighborhood in central Philadelphia.