Breaking: 4 Children Among 12 Dead In Bronx Fire Blaze

Four children were among 12 people killed in a fire at an apartment building in the Bronx borough of New York. New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio said the fire was the deadliest in the city for at least 25 years. The victims include a one-year-old child, he added. The cause of the fire, on Prospect Avenue, near Fordham University and the Bronx Zoo, is not yet clear.More than 160 firefighters helped bring the blaze under control. In a statement, the New York Police Department said a boy and three girls, aged one, two and seven, had died. Officials said the first alarm sounded at the five-storey building at about 19:00 local time. The fire started on the first floor and quickly spread. Television footage showed firefighters carrying people to safety from fire escapes.Residents who managed to escape huddled outside in bitterly cold conditions. The Red Cross handed out blankets to those on the street, as some residents fled the building without shoes or coats. New York City is experiencing a severe cold snap, and as temperatures dropped to around -10C (13F) the water from the firefighters’ hoses could be seen turning to ice on the ground. Speaking at the scene, Mr De Blasio said a nearby school had been set up to shelter those evacuated from the building. “We’re here at the scene of an unspeakable tragedy,” Mr De Blasio said.Photo Credit: Getty