Feb 24, 2009 6:53 pm US/Eastern
FDNY: Chinatown Blaze Sparked By Extension Cord
2 Dead, Dozens Injured In Chinatown Fire; More Than 100 Evacuated
4-Alarm Blaze Engulfs 6-Story Building; Some Residents Jumped From Building To Escape Flames
NEW YORK (CBS) ―
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Firefighters responded to a fire at 22 James Street in Chinatown Tuesday morning. The 4-alarm fire claimed the lives of two people and injured at least 20 others.
CBS
Fire officials said an extension cord in a bedroom caused a fatal six-story apartment building fire in Chinatown Tuesday, killing two people and injuring dozens of others before being brought under control.
The fire department says a 33-year-old woman died at a hospital Tuesday afternoon after being pulled from the burning building's second floor. A 32-year-old man who was in the same apartment was pronounced dead earlier Tuesday.
Four building residents were seriously injured in the blaze, including some who jumped from windows on the fifth and sixth floors. Eight firefighters suffered minor injuries.
"There were flames right below us; right underneath our fire escape. It was getting hot so we knew it was urgent to try and climb up to the roof," said tenant Annie Ling.
At least 100 people were evacuated from the building and others nearby on James Street in lower Manhattan, said Fire Department Chief of Operations Patrick McNally.
McNally said the fire, which started on the second floor, was difficult to bring under control because the building was so old. At times, fire could be seen shooting out of the windows and smoke was billowing near the roof.
By midmorning, the fire was largely under control.
"There were people screaming and a lot of people with babies. Everyone was just trying to help each other. But it was a little chaotic," said tenant Jaqueline Gallow.
Last month, a Buildings Department inspection found "defective/exposed" electrical wiring in ceiling fixtures throughout the building and violations were served, according to city records.
"There could be an open violation as to exposed wiring that was issued in January. We cannot yet confirm whether that violation was cured," said Manhattan Borough President Scott Stringer.
The building is on a short residential street near the Manhattan Bridge in the heart of Chinatown, not far from the main artery Canal Street, where vendors hawk everything from knockoff handbags to live frogs and bootleg DVDs.
Kathleen O'Keefe, a spokeswoman for New York Downtown Hospital, said eight people were brought into the hospital, one child and seven adults. One of the adults, a 32-year-old man, was dead on arrival. Another was in critical condition and was transferred to the burn unit at Weill Cornell Medical Center. Of the remaining six, two were discharged. She did not know the conditions of the other four.
(© 2009 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)
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