SEVEN CHILDREN IN DEATH TOLL FROM BLAZE
PHILADELPHIA: Seven children were among 13 people killed when a fire tore through a three-storey house in Philadelphia in one of the US’s deadliest residential infernos in recent years.
Officials said another two people were hospitalised and eight escaped the blaze, which occurred in public housing in the city’s museum district of Fairmount.
“This is without a doubt one of the most tragic days in our city’s history, the loss of so many people in such a tragic way,” Mayor Jim Kenney said.
Philadelphia Fire Department deputy commissioner Craig Murphy said it was the worst he had seen in 35 years on the job.
Mr Murphy said the toll was “dynamic because there is still an ongoing recovery effort inside.”
He said it was too early to say what caused the blaze.
“It’s not necessarily considered suspicious but we have all hands on deck because of the magnitude of this fire,” Mr Murphy said
He said there were four smoke detectors but none had been operating.
The building is owned by Philadelphia’s public housing authority (PHA), which said the detectors had last been inspected in May 2021.
“This unimaginable loss of life has shaken all of us at PHA,” chief executive Kelvin Jeremiah said.
Officers found “heavy fire” coming from the second floor. It took 50 minutes to place the fire under control.
About 26 people had been living in the building.
It was not clear how many people were in the building during the fire.
“Obviously the tragedy happened and we all mourn for it,” Mr Kenney said.
The Philadelphia Inquirer quoted police as saying the home had been converted into two apartments.
Neighbours said they had been shaken by the fire. Bill Richards, who lives nearby, told the Inquirer that soon before 7am he had heard a woman scream “Oh my god, oh my god.” “It’s totally devastating and upsetting,” Mr Richards said.
Ruslan Boroviy, a priest at the nearby Saint Nicolas Ukrainian Catholic Church said it would organise a prayer service.
“It’s a great tragedy for our neighbourhood,” Mr Boroviy told AFP.