Deadly New York City Apartment Fire Kills at Least 12 in Bronx

Mayor Bill De Blasio confirmed the rising death toll.

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A massive fire broke out in a five-story apartment building in the Bronx on Thursday night, killing at least 12.

Mayor Bill De Blasio confirmed the rising death toll. There were also four critically injured residents in addition to two people who sustained non-life-threatening injuries. The victims included a small one-year-old child.

Fire Commissioner Daniel Nigro called the blaze "historic in its magnitude," USA Today reported. 

The initial emergency call came at 6:51 p.m. EST for a fire at 2363 Prospect Avenue in the Belmont section of the Bronx. First responders arrived within minutes and there were over 160 firefighters on the scene within an hour, according to the New York City Fire Department. Firefighters were able to rescue at least a dozen people.

The fire was under control by the time Blasio addressed media at 10 p.m EST. He told the crowd, "This is the worst fire tragedy we have seen in this city—it will rank as one of the worst losses in a fire in many years."

This is a developing story and the cause of the blaze has yet to be determined.

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