One person is dead and another is in critical condition after an explosion and fire at a 17-story apartment building in the Bronx, city and FDNY officials said early Saturday morning.
FDNY Commissioner Lillian Bonsignore said firefighters responded to reports of a gas smell at a building on Bivonia Street between Reeds Mill and Boston Road just after midnight Saturday. According to Bonsignore, within 15 minutes, there was an explosion, which led to multiple fires.
Fire officials said the fire spread to multiple apartments on the top three floors of the building. More than 230 firefighters and EMS personnel responded to the scene, according to the FDNY.
In addition to the one person who was killed and the one person in critical condition, the FDNY said one firefighter and 11 civilians suffered non-life-threatening injuries and were transported to area hospitals. One additional person refused medical attention at the scene, fire officials said.
The fire happened at Boston Secor, a NYCHA property leased to a private management company.