New York apartment fire death toll revised to 17 “The door didn’t close, causing a lot of damage”

New York Mayor Eric Adams speaks at a press conference in front of a burnt out apartment in the Bronx.

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(New York = Yonhap News) Correspondent Kang Geon-taek = New York City Mayor Eric Adams said on the 10th (local time) that 17 people were killed in an apartment fire in the Bronx, New York City, not 19.

According to the New York Times (NYT), Mayor Adams said 17 people had died in an apartment fire the day before, and eight of them were children.

The number of deaths decreased by two from the announcement that 19 people had died, including nine children, right after the fire the day before.

The New York City Fire Department said some deaths were duplicated.

However, Mayor Adams cited a number of serious injuries, adding that “the number of victims is likely to rise.” Currently, 13 people are said to be in critical condition.

The fire, which was recorded as the worst fire in New York City in more than 30 years since the Bronx’s Happy Land nightclub in 1990 killed 87 people, started in a bedroom on the third floor.

The fire authorities estimate that the residents living in this house left the broken electric stove on non-stop for several days before the fire broke out.

In particular, the city authorities pointed out that the door remained open even after the residents of the household in question were evacuated, so smoke quickly spread throughout the building, increasing casualties.

In New York City, it is mandatory to add an automatic closing feature to all apartment doors to reduce fire damage, but it was found that this feature was broken on the front door of the household.

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Mayor Adams told ABC that “the door was open and smoke could fill the building. There may have been a maintenance issue with this door. This issue is also subject to investigation.”

“This fire is a warning message for all buildings in New York,” he said, emphasizing the importance of safety management.

President Joe Biden spoke to Mayor Adams on the same day and promised to give the federal government all necessary assistance in the fire disaster.

Meanwhile, the apartment, where many of the low-income working class live, has many Muslims from the Gambia, Africa, the New York Times reported.

firstcircle@yna.co.kr

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