Dad’s tragic plea as Harlem fire kills child

A man critically wounded in a deadly East Harlem fire shouted “my daughter needs help” as the blaze killed the 5-year-old and the man’s girlfriend, a neighbor said.

Eric Williams, 46, was heard crying out for his young daughter, Erica, who was in the unit at NYCHA’s Jackie Robinson Houses with Chakaina Anderson, 36, as the tragedy, which was apparently started by a faulty e-bike battery, struck Wednesday.

“He was yelling. I wanted to open the door but the door was hot,” said a neighbor who gave her name as Tasay, 24. “I didn’t know what to do so I just called 911. I saw the smoke. He started yelling, ‘My daughter needs help!’ ”

Williams and his daughter were rushed to Harlem Hospital, where the girl succumbed to her injuries.

Williams was still hospitalized as of Thursday.

Three dogs also died in the fire, authorities said.

Williams has owned several e-bikes over the years, including one that looked similar to a bike seen charred outside of the building in the aftermath of the blaze, the neighbor and family members said.

Police haven’t said if it was a bike owned by Williams that started the fire, and it wasn’t clear if the charred bike was the one whose batteries sparked the flames.

Chakaina’s cousin Robin Anderson said she was “devastated” by the loss.

“I’m heartbroken my cousin has passed,” she said.