One person died and three others, including a child, were critically injured when a fire blasted through a public housing complex in Brooklyn on Sunday afternoon, according to officials.
One of the victims was in cardiac arrest when they were discovered locked within the same apartment in the New York City Housing Authority building in Boerum Hill, around 4 p.m.
Firefighters removed the four unconscious victims from their first-floor apartment, according to the FDNY. One of them, a 67-year-old man, was later declared dead at the hospital. The NYPD reported that the other victims were a man, 60, a woman, and a 2-year-old child.
Constructed in 1949, the Gowanus Houses complex spans over 12 acres and consists of 15 distinct residential units.
At the scene, FDNY Deputy Chief Joseph Duggan said at a press briefing, “It appears they were trying to make their way out when they were overcome.” As per the FDNY, the fire was brought under control by around sixty firemen in a half hour.
The fire marshal is currently conducting an investigation to determine the cause of the incident.
