A deadly incident occurred in a high-rise building in East Harlem, where a 72-year-old woman lost her life in an apartment fire. The fire broke out just before 7 p.m. on the 19th floor of the building, located at 221 E. 122nd St. Firefighters faced substantial challenges; a firefighter also sustained minor injuries during the response, according to ABC7NY.
The fire engulfed one unit on the 19th floor, and it took 78 fire and EMS personnel — and 20 units, to bring the flame under control, which they achieved after about an hour. The identity of the deceased was initially withheld; the cause of the fire is under investigation by Fire Marshals. Given the gravity of the situation, the loss of life was offset by the potential for even greater injury as responders tackled the blaze with tenacity and urgency.
Compounding the incident was a critical failure in the building's infrastructure, as reported by NBC New York. Firefighters were forced to ascend the building via the stairs, since the elevators were found to be non-operational. One elevator was already flagged as out of order, while the other malfunctioned, delaying emergency response efforts.
"Very challenging to get up there carrying all the gear up 19 floors and then having to go to work. The apartment had heavy clutter, which caused them to have to search a little harder to find the victim," FDNY Dep. Chief Joseph Abbamonte stated. This operational challenge was made more pressing, by a resident's claim that the elevators had been in disrepair for two weeks, as per NBC New York.
The identity of the woman, who was found in her 19th-floor apartment, was later confirmed though she was rushed to the hospital suffering serious injuries, she was pronounced dead. Neighborhood residents, including those with mobility issues, have expressed concern over the state of the elevators which, in this instance, could have made a significant difference to both the victim and the firefighters' response time.
