A fire at a residential building at 850 Intervale Avenue in the Bronx borough of New York City on Tuesday has left seven people injured and at least one dead, according to local authorities.
At least three civilians and five police officers sustained injuries. One 77-year-old female has been pronounced dead, according to the New York Police Department (NYPD) and New York City Fire Department (FDNY).
Among the injured are an 82-year-old female and a 67-year-old female.
(Jan. 18 Bronx fire. (WNYW))
The five injured police officers have been hospitalized with smoke inhalation.
New York City Councilman Rafael Salamanca attributed the “massive fire” to a “gas explosion” at the building on Intervale Avenue in the 17th District, which he represents.
Jan. 18 Bronx fire. (WNYW)
“Just received word that [energy company Con Edison] will be shutting down the gas in the immediate area along Fox Street between Intervale Ave & Tiffany Street,” Salamanca said in a Tuesday tweet. “With temperatures dropping, we will continue to monitor to ensure a restoration of gas once it is safe to do so.”
Alfonso Quiroz, a spokesperson at the New York-based energy company, confirmed to Fox News Digital that it has turned gas off on the block and is working with the FDNY “to investigate” the root cause of the apparent explosion.
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Quiroz added that there is a “large debris field that the fire department will need to” sort through in order to determine the cause.
Jan. 18 Bronx fire. (WNYW)
The fire, as well as response efforts from the NYPD and FDNY, were ongoing as of 1 p.m. Tuesday, and the building on Intervale Avenue had partially collapsed. The fire began just before 11 a.m., as FOX 5 New York first reported.
Residents of nearby buildings were evacuated to a church in the neighborhood, according to FOX 5.
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The explosion comes about one week after 17 people, including eight children, died in a Jan. 10 fire that destroyed a Bronx high-rise apartment building.
This story is breaking. Check back for more updates.
