A fire tore through a Queens apartment building early Monday, killing one man and leaving a second in critical condition, authorities said.
The blaze broke out on the second floor of a 5-story apartment building around 2:40 a.m. at 45-08 40th Street in Sunnyside that also sent a firefighter to the hospital, according to the FDNY.
A fire broke out at a Queens apartment building on Monday morning. Robert Mecea for New York PostBoth victims caught in the inferno were rushed to Elmhurst Hospital, but a 61-year-old man succumbed to his injuries while a 60-year-old man is in critical condition, police said.
The firefighter was hospitalized at Cornell Hospital and is in stable condition, according to the NYPD.
One victim was seen being treated at the scene. Robert Mecea for New York Post
Firefighters responding to a fire on Queens Boulevard. Robert Mecea for New York PostSome 79 first responders battled the fire that took around an hour to get under control, officials said.
One building resident described a scene of dread as he rushed to safety.
“I get out of bed and I see smoke coming into our apartment. I started to realize it’s coming from underneath,” the man told CBS 2.
“So, I wake up my wife, we run out, and then we didn’t see anyone outside. So I called 911 immediately. My wife was yelling ‘Fire! Fire!’ to let people know.”
A cause for the deadly fire was still under investigation.
