Child playing with stove led to New York fire that killed 12

A CHILD playing with a stove caused New York’s deadliest fire in almost 30 years, leaving 12 people dead, including one baby.

The three-year-old child survived when his mother swept him away from the rising smoke in the kitchen and out into safety with his younger sibling.

But the fire quickly spread up the block – with the stairway acting “like a chimney”, according to investigators – killing 12 people, aged one to 50.

Kimberly Wilkins, an eyewitness, said: “People were screaming ... ‘Fire! Help! Fire! Help!”

The one-year-old girl died along with her mother as they tried to shelter in a bathtub, investigators said. Two young girls aged two and seven, and a boy whose age was not known, were also among the dead.

The fire broke out at 7pm on Thursday in a building with 26 flats near the Bronx Zoo, a popular tourist attraction. Firefighters were on the scene within three minutes, but the blaze spread rapidly, fuelled by strong winds.

More than 160 firefighters took three hours to control the blaze as water leaking from hoses froze on the pavement due to the extreme cold.

Bill de Blasio, the New York City Mayor, called it an “unspeakable tragedy”. He added: “What we think at this point is that unfortunately it emanated from an accident; a young child playing with a stove on the first floor of the building. Here in the Bronx there are families that have been torn apart.” ♦ At least 14 people were killed when fire tore through a rooftop restaurant in Mumbai yesterday.

Many of the victims were young women attending a birthday party. Doctors said they died of asphyxiation, apparently as they tried to flee the burning building.