Fire in New York City apartment building leaves 19 dead, including 9 children

A fire that tore through an apartment building in New York City's Bronx borough on Sunday morning left 19 people, including nine children, dead.

At least 63 people were injured, most from smoke inhalation, and 32 people have been hospitalized with life-threatening conditions, FDNY Commissioner Daniel Nigro said. The fire started shortly before 11 a.m., and was caused by a malfunctioning space heater in the bedroom of an apartment, Nigro said. CNN reports that the 50-year-old building has 120 units.

"This is going to be one of the worst fires that we have witnessed during modern times here in the city of New York," New York City Mayor Eric Adams said. Most of the building's residents are immigrants from Gambia, and New York Gov. Kathy Hochul (D) vowed to provide survivors and the families of victims with compensation for housing, burial costs, and other necessities.

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"This is a horrific, horrific, painful moment for the city of New York, and the impact of this fire is going to really bring a level of just pain and despair in our city," Adams said.