Aug 30, 2006 7:15 pm US/Eastern
Burning N.J. Home Traps 14 People In Basement
By Dave Carlin
Englewood, N.J. (CBS) ―
A fire in Englewood, New Jersey killed two people and left a third hospitalized in critical condition.
The burning home at 79 James Street was packed with 14 people. Investigators say the 3 victims lived in the basement and had no way out because fire blocked the only door to the outside.
Carolina Cortes and her family were upstairs. "The smoke was really heavy we couldn't see the lights were out," Cortes said. Once outside family members realized the basement tenants were trapped.
Cortes said they tried to wake the people up but it was no use. Firefighters pulled them out. The victims are an unidentified 41-year-old man from Mexico and 27-year-old Sriwitha Anna Pathan from Thailand who died at Englewood Hospital.
The other man is identified, as 22-year-old Augustin Palafox is hospitalized at Englewood Hospital and fighting for his life.
Englewood Fire Chief Robert Moran says the cause of the blaze appears to be accidental although the heat source has not been found. He also said renovations to the basement were done without permits. "
"If you have illegal occupancies and you have people living in areas that are not constructed to code you're going to have these multiple fatality accidents when you have a fire," Moran said.
Englewood's Mayor Michael Wildes said he has gone door to door in this neighborhood and he's seen many illegal living quarters. "There are landlords getting away with things and there are tenants who don't know better," Mayor Wildes said.
The Mayor went to a home 2 years ago on James Street that Jubenal Rodrigues rents. Back then it had kitchens and bathrooms in both the basement and the attic. They were removed to bring this home up to code.
Officials have been pushing for tougher enforcement and more education, but those things will be too little too late for the victims, whose bargain basement apartment became a death trap.
(© MMVI, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.)
