According to foreign media reports such as the New York Post, on January 5, local time, a fire broke out in an apartment building in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, usa, which has killed at least 13 people and injured 2 others.
A fire broke out in an apartment building in Philadelphia, USA Image source: US media
Philadelphia firefighters arrived at the scene around 6:30 a.m. to find the fire spreading from the second floor of the three-story building, firefighters controlled the fire within 50 minutes, Philadelphia fire officials said. Some residents fled on their own when the fire broke out, and firefighters rescued several residents after cutting a hole in the roof.
Of the 13 dead, at least 7 were children, officials said. The death toll is likely to rise, with 2 injured people seriously injured and hospitalized. At the time of the fire, about 26 people reportedly lived in the building, which had been converted into apartments. None of the four smoke alarms in the building were working properly at the time of the incident, and the cause of the fire had not yet been determined. The city government promised to "figure it out" and investigate why smoke alarms weren't working.
Image source: US media
Craig Murphy, deputy director of the Philadelphia Fire Department, said at a news conference, "I've been working here for 35 years and this is probably one of the worst fires I've ever experienced." He said it was unclear where the fire started and where it started, and authorities were investigating.
Philadelphia Mayor Jim Kenney said at a news conference, "There is no doubt that this is one of the most tragic days in our city's history. Please pray for all these people, especially these children. Losing so many children is simply devastating. ”
One resident who lives nearby said he was awakened by the painful cries of the affected residents. "I heard screams," he said. "The flames were huge. You really can't imagine something like that happening. "The fire is reportedly one of the deadliest in Philadelphia's history. The worst of the previous ones occurred in 1901, when 22 people died. (Editor: HHJ)