Four bodies were recovered from an abandoned house in Poughkeepsie, some 133 km north of New York City, after a stubborn fire was put out early Monday morning, Xinhua reported citing local media.
The fire broke out around 1:30 am (0630 GMT) at a 3-story building, which, according to city chief Mark Johnson, has been vacant for quite a few years.
The victims, including two males, one female and another one whose gender was unidentifiable, are believed to be homeless.
The house was initially hard to enter due to its fragile condition and some temporary fences erected around the place, which led to a longer-than-expected firefighting stretching beyond the wee hours on Monday, according to authorities.
The cause of the fire is under investigation. Johnson told local media that it couldn't be accidental since the dilapidated building was not connected to any utilities.