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A horrifying scene unfolded over the weekend as New York City witnessed its most deadly fire in 30 years.
Around 11 am, the cries for help began, including screams from children yelling, “Help! Help! Help!”
19 people were killed in the fire. 9 children were among those killed
Over 50 people were injured, including 13 who are in critical condition.
Residents were trapped inside a 19-story building as they broke windows for air and stuffed wet towels under doors.
Smoke continued to rise from a lower-floor apartment where the fire started.
Heroes from the fire department risked their lives to finally get the blaze under control.
Fire officials said a malfunctioning electric space heater inside a duplex on the second floor started the fire.
We've lost 19 of our neighbors today. It's a tragedy beyond measure. Join me in praying for those we lost, especially the 9 innocent young lives that were cut short. https://t.co/YWQyBLyLK8
— Mayor Eric Adams (@NYCMayor) January 9, 2022
More from Fox News:
Rodriguez, 38, told the New York Post that she was startled at around 11 a.m. whe she heard the screams from children, “Help! Help! Help!”
“It was dark,” she said. “The smoke was really bad. Those kids crying for help.”
Another witness told the paper that she watched mothers fainting when they “saw their kids dying.”
Mayor Eric Adams praised firefighters who continued to push their way through the smoke despite the fact that their compressed air tanks were empty.
“I really want to thank them for putting their lives on the line to save lives,” he said. Firefighters found victims on every floor of the building. The children who died were 16 years or younger, News 12 reported.
Sunday’s fire happened just days after 12 people, including eight children, were killed in a house fire in Philadelphia. In 1989, a Tennessee apartment building fire claimed the lives of 16 people.
