By MES Dispatch staff
The Briefing
• A five-alarm fire in the Belmont section of the Bronx killed two people and injured 11 others Tuesday afternoon, fire officials said.
• The blaze erupted in a five-story mixed-use building at 660 E. 187th St. and prompted a large response from the Fire Department of New York.
• Injuries included firefighters and civilians; several were taken to hospitals for treatment.
• Fire marshals are investigating the cause of the blaze while displaced residents seek assistance.
BRONX, NY — Two people were killed and 11 others were injured Tuesday afternoon in a five-alarm fire that tore through a five-story mixed-use building in the Belmont neighborhood of the Bronx, fire officials said.
Fire Department of New York units responded around 1:30 p.m. to reports of a fire at 660 E. 187th St., where heavy flames quickly spread through the residential and commercial structure.
The fire escalated to a five-alarm assignment, bringing more than 200 firefighters, emergency medical technicians and paramedics to the scene, FDNY said.
Among the 11 injured were multiple civilians and firefighters, some of whom were treated at local hospitals for smoke inhalation and other injuries, officials reported.
Fire marshals from FDNY’s Fire Investigation Unit are working to determine the cause of the blaze, which also left dozens of residents displaced and receiving assistance from the American Red Cross.
Officials said the building’s interior stairwell and portions of the roof collapsed as the fire advanced, complicating firefighting and evacuation efforts.