A 5-year-old girl and her father’s girlfriend died when a fire swept through a NYCHA apartment in East Harlem this morning.
Three dogs also died and an adult man was hospitalized in critical condition. critical. Another civilian and a firefighter suffered minor injuries. Flames erupted just after 2: 30 am, trapping occupants inside an apartment on the 6th floor of the eight-story building at “Jackie Robinson Houses” on East 129th Street near Lexington Avenue, police and fire officials said.
The girl and her 46-year-old father were rushed to Harlem Hospital, where the girl succumbed to her injuries and the man remains in critical condition, police said. A 36-year-old female was taken to Lincoln Medical Center, where she was also pronounced dead.
The minor and her father lived in the apartment, and his girlfriend was visiting, police said. Another civilian suffered minor injuries and was taken to Mount Sinai Medical Center, reported New York Post.
A firefighter was taken to Mount Sinai Morningside Hospital also with minor injuries, according to the FDNY. The cause of the fire remains under investigation, but a police source said the initial indication was that there was an electrical problem inside the apartment, Daily News reported.
A Kawasaki electric bike was on fire when firefighters arrived and a hoverboard was burned in the fire, detailed ABC News. The fire did not spread to any other apartment.