Bronx Apartment Fire That Killed 19 Said To Be One Of Deadliest In New York History

January 10, 2022

Nine children were among those who perished in the high-rise apartment blaze on Sunday.

A fire in a Bronx high-rise apartment killed ten adults and nine children yesterday, January 9th, CNBC reports. The blaze is said to have been started by a malfunctioning portable space heater and began around 11 AM ET at a 19-story residential building on East 181st Street in the New York neighbourhood.

Roughly 200 firefighters responded to the scene, and Mayor Eric Adams referred to it as "one of the worst fires that we have witnessed during modern times" during a Sunday afternoon news conference.



Reports say that a total of 63 people were injured, with New York City Fire Department Commissioner Dan Nigro anticipating "numerous fatalities" while speaking at a press conference, adding that many of the victims suffered from severe smoke inhalation.

The fire and smoke spread extra rapidly through the building because the door to the duplex where the flames originated was left open. "We've spread the word, 'close the door, close the door,' to slow the spread," Nigro explained.