On the morning of Sunday 9 January, an apartment building in New York caught fire, killing at least 19 people and injuring a further 60, in what is New York’s deadliest fire in decades.
It took the combined efforts of over 200 firefighters to tackle the fire, with victims reportedly being found on “every floor” of the 19-storey complex.
Of the 17 victims to date, nine were children. 32 people have also been hospitalised, with a number in critical condition. Many of the victims suffered from severe smoke inhalation.
The fire is believed to have broken out on the second or third floor of the block, and is being attributed to a “malfunctioning electric space heater.” The spread of smoke is likely to have been exacerbated by doors to the apartment being left open, which were thought to be malfunctioning as they were designed to self-close.
According to the New York Post, regular false fire alarms may have deterred residents from responding and evacuating quickly.
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