At least 12 people died in a four-alarm fire that raged through a Bronx apartment building on Thursday night, officials said, New York Post reports.
The deadly blaze at 2363 Prospect Ave. in the Belmont section of the borough began at about 7 p.m., according to fire officials.
It quickly spread to a 4-alarm blaze and 170 firefighters were trying to extinguish the flames that injured at least 15 people, authorities said.
Witness Xanral Collins said he feared small children were among the dead.
“A father ran into the building, he couldn’t get in,” Collins said. “I saw him screaming, `My babies are dead! My babies are dead!’ ”
Another witness, Jamal Flicker, said he spotted flames erupting near trash cans.
“It started down where they take the garbage. The smoke was crazy, people screaming, `Get out!’ I heard a woman yelling, `We’re trapped, help!’ ” Flicker said.