Five people were killed when apartments above a row of stores in Brooklyn caught fire early Saturday, authorities say.
As the interior walls collapsed, flames trapped residents on the second and third floor. About 125 firefighters were called to the scene, where they tried pulling out residents from inside two apartments above a restaurant, Press TV reported.
"It was delayed because of the volume of fire and the collapse," said James Long, a Fire Department spokesman.
Three other people, including an adult, a two-month-old and a two-year-old were taken to the hospital.
Officials said the fire broke out at 2:31 a.m. EST (2131 GMT), and as several fire trucks quickly raced to the location. It was not until an hour later that firefighters found the first victim.
Thirteen firefighters also sustained injuries, according to The New York Times. Police and fire officials said the cause of the incident was under investigation.