Home » News » 17 fire deaths in New York: “There was no survival, no chance to escape” | News

17 fire deaths in New York: “There was no survival, no chance to escape” | News

New York – Shock, horror and sadness in New York after the deadliest fire in 30 years.

A fire started by a fan heater in a third-floor apartment in a Bronx apartment building spread rapidly. Within minutes, several floors of the 19-story apartment building in the Fordham Heights district were on fire, and toxic smoke filled the hallways and stairwells. The actual escape routes became death traps.

The casualty balance is unbearable: at least 17 dead are to be lamented! Particularly tragic: nine of them are children. 200 firefighters risked their own lives with sometimes daring rescue operations to save the people trapped in the flames and smoke hell on this fateful Sunday morning. Video footage shows firefighters clinging to a ladder as bright flames shoot out of a shattered window.

One of the rescuers carries a child in his arms and hands it over to the visibly relieved mother

Foto: DAVID DEE DELGADO/The New York Times/laif

BILD reporters Herbert Bauernebel and Katie Pfleghar spoke to people affected by the inferno in New York

BILD reporters Herbert Bauernebel and Katie Pfleghar spoke to people affected by the inferno in New York

Photo: Katie Pfleghar

When BILD arrives at the scene of the accident, the traces of the catastrophic fire are clearly visible: a good half of the windows are broken, and pitch-black traces of soot can be seen on the facade. Emergency services in white overalls are busy securing evidence on the ground floor. Residents stand together on street corners. The shock is written all over their faces. A first refuge for the now homeless residents of the accident building was set up in an adjacent school.

“Now I understand why people jumped out of the Word Trade Center on 9/11,” says Tony Johnson. The army veteran first noticed a strange smell of burning in his apartment on the twelfth floor: “Outside the corridor was completely black, acrid smoke, you couldn’t breathe!” He knew immediately: “There was no survival there, so practically no chance of escape! Johnson therefore holed himself up in his apartment and looked for his old gas mask from army days.

Exhausted firefighters after hours of firefighting in the high-rise building

Exhausted firefighters after hours of firefighting in the high-rise building

Photo: Katie Pfleghar

In the morning, specialists from the fire department examined the high-rise building

In the morning, specialists from the fire department examined the high-rise building

Foto: ddp/Michael Nagle Xinhua / eyevine

Many people lived in the building who hardly spoke English, he said, and didn’t know how to behave in the event of a fire. He describes scenes of chaos. Also macabre: The fire alarm would have gone off so often in the apartment building for no reason that this time many had not taken it seriously enough.

During the evacuation, the man experienced true horror scenes: “A neighbor was lying on the floor in the corridor, half naked, I think she was already dead, firefighters were standing next to her”. He saw dead pets including numerous dogs in the hallways and in front of the main entrance. But the survivor also tells how teenagers managed to escape from the particularly affected third floor at the last moment when they abseiled down with sheets tied together – and thus escaped death.

Johnson stands in the cold rain in front of the burnt ruins, puffs on his cigarette. “I have cancer treatment tomorrow, but I need this after all…”

New York Fire Department chief Dan Nigro, 73, said flames and smoke engulfed the entire 1972 building and dead bodies were found on every floor. He also confirmed the death fire was caused by a malfunctioning portable heater in a bedroom. The owners fled and left the doors open, which is why the fire was able to spread so quickly.

Mayor Eric Adams (61), who is already having to deal with a serious crisis on the ninth day in office, praised the firefighters: They would have continued to look for people themselves when their oxygen tanks were empty.

In shock and in great fear, residents left their apartments in the burning skyscraper

In shock and in great fear, residents left their apartments in the burning skyscraper

Foto: Lloyd Mitchell/AP

Tenant “Fufu” lives on the ninth floor of “Twin Park North West”. She was in the building for two hours

Photo: Katie Pfleghar

A 20-year-old, who only wants to reveal her nickname Fufu, was on the ninth floor of the Twin Parks North West building when the fire broke out: “We were only able to leave the house after two hours because the smoke was too corrosive.”

Her worst experience: “We could hear people banging on the windows and screaming for help – it was heartbreaking, it’s not something you want to hear.” The fire department called out to residents to keep their doors closed and come along seal with wet towels. Fufu shows her soot-blackened hands: “It’s all from the black smoke!”

New York Mayor Eric Adams (61) thanked the rescuers for their tireless efforts

New York Mayor Eric Adams (61) thanked the rescuers for their tireless efforts

Photo: Katie Pfleghar

A large contingent of firefighters and rescuers at the fire building in the Bronx

A large contingent of firefighters and rescuers at the fire building in the Bronx

Photo: Yuki Iwamura/AP

Domingo Augustini lives in the house opposite: “There were terrible scenes, first the fire, then the moment when victims were brought out on stretchers, I saw firefighters who were completely black and could hardly breathe!” He observed residents on the lower floors the open windows, which firemen talked into keeping the doors closed. The witness: “They pulled a boy out of an open window and brought him down the ladder”. When he heard the casualty record, he was shocked: “Nine dead children? It’s just unbearable!”

More than 60 people were injured in the inferno, around half of them seriously. An increase in the number of victims is feared.

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