A fire official who was not authorized to speak publicly confirmed the death toll Sunday to The Associated Press (AP), while a city official who was not authorized to speak publicly confirmed the number of children dead.
Dozens of people were injured in the Bronx fire, and at least 32 people were hospitalized. According to the New York City Fire Department (FDNY), approximately 200 firefighters responded to the scene Sunday at the Twin Park apartments, a 19-story building on East 181st Street.
Thirty-two people were transported to five hospitals, with the majority of the victims suffering from severe smoke inhalation, FDNY Commissioner Daniel Nigro said.
Firefighters "found victims on every floor and were taking them out in cardiac and respiratory arrest," he said. "That is unprecedented in our city. We expect there to be numerous fatalities."
Nigro compared the severity of the fire to the Happy Land social club fire, which killed 87 people in 1990 when a man set fire to the building after getting into an argument with his former girlfriend and being thrown out of the club.
The fire is not believed to be suspicious in origin but the cause is under investigation.
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