Caught On Video: Teens Escape Deadly East Village Fire That Killed 1
NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) -- Two teenagers were captured on video escaping a deadly early Thursday morning fire in the East Village.
It happened at around 7 a.m. at 118 Avenue D at the Jacob Riis Houses. The fire was contained to one apartment. Residents CBS2's Leah Mishkin spoke to filmed the scene unfold.
The footage captures bright orange flames inside a fourth-floor apartment. One by one, a 13-year-old boy and 18-year-old girl are seen climbing out the window and helping each other to grab onto a pole.
Smoke continues to pour out the window as sirens get closer. Below, a crowd begins to clear the area and a garbage truck is seen moving underneath the kids.
The flames get bigger.
The two teenagers made their way down. Police said both suffered injuries, but were in stable condition.
"It's scary because they could have fell," said witness Justin Maltica.
Maltica said he watched it all from his apartment window in the building across the way.
"Me and another neighbor were yelling to them to go to the side and climb down. Everyone was doing their best," Maltica said.
Officials said a man was found inside the apartment after the fire was extinguished. He was pronounced dead on the scene. A 46-year-old woman was taken to a hospital and is listed in critical condition.
"They were my neighbors. They were very nice. We talked every morning," a woman named Shirley said.
She said a family of four lived in the apartment where the fire happened. The mother of the two, she believed, was at the door, but couldn't get out.
"So the fire, police came and they had to bust the door down," Shirley said.
The FDNY has not yet released the name of the man who died.
"We're close to the holidays and that's traumatizing for the family. It's sad for them," neighbor Robert Martinez said.
"This is the worst, worst that I have ever seen," Shirley said.
"My prayers go out to the family and, hopefully, the kids come out OK," Maltica added.
According to the FDNY, multiple electric bikes were found in the apartment, but the cause of the fire is still under investigation.
CBS2's Leah Mishkin contributed to this report.
