At least five people are dead after a fire ripped through a two-story house Sunday afternoon in New York’s Queens borough.
There were three children and two adult victims. They have not yet been identified. A sixth person was home but escaped by jumping out of a window on the second floor.
The fire started around 3 p.m. and spread to a home next door. Firefighters were able to extinguish the flames by 4:30 p.m., according to WPIX.
The fire commissioner and Mayor Bill de Blasio spoke at the scene.
“This is the biggest loss of life in a New York City fire in roughly two years. There will be a full investigation by our fire marshalls,” de Blasio said in a series of tweets. “We don’t have all the answers about what happened here. Our job now is to get down to the bottom of what happened and do everything we can to make sure that no family ever suffers like this again. ”
A man was seen being led away in handcuffs but it was not clear if he was involved, according to WPIX.
Investigators are still working to determine the cause of the fire.
This is a developing story. Check back for updates.
About the Author
