Four people were killed, including at least one child, following a Queens fire in which others were critically injured when they leapt to escape the burning building, according to fire officials.
Flames broke out just before 12:30 p.m. on the first and second floor of a building on Avery Avenue in Flushing, FDNY officials said. The mixed-use building between College Point Boulevard and Saull Street had commercial businesses on the first floor and multiple apartments on the two floors above.
Firefighters responded to the scene. A “may day” call came shortly after a staircase inside collapsed while two FDNY members were making their way from the first floor to the second. Both firefighters were extricated out and were taken to the hospital with minor injuries, the FDNY said; the two were expected to recover.
Video showed smoke pouring from windows of the brick building. At one point, firefighters could be seen on a ladder pulling a man from a window on the second floor.
At least four people died as a result of the fire, according to fire officials. Three of those individuals, including a child, were found dead inside the building. A fourth was later pronounced dead after getting rushed to the hospital in critical condition.
Two other victims were still in critical condition at area hospitals, the FDNY said.
“This is a difficult and tragic day. There were several victims of this fire,” said FDNY Commissioner Lillian Bonsignore.
A witness described seeing two people jump from the second floor, including a woman who shouted “my baby, my baby.”
Mayor Zohran Mamdani posted on social media about the deadly fire, expressing his condolences for the families and neighbors.
“Thank you to the FDNY firefighters and EMS workers who rushed in within minutes, risking their lives to rescue residents and bring the fire under control. Several were injured and we’re wishing them a full recovery,” Mamdani wrote in the post.
More than 230 firefighters and EMS personnel responded to the scene. The fire was under control around 2:45 p.m.
It was not immediately clear what sparked the fire. An investigation by FDNY fire marshals is ongoing.
