Worst NY fire in decades kills 12
 

NEW YORK: Four children were among 12 people killed in a devastating fire that tore through a New York apartment building as terrified residents rushed to escape.The cause of the blaze ? the city?s deadliest in decades ? was under investigation, authorities said.
The fire broke out around 6:51 pm (2351 GMT) Thursday in a 25-apartment building near the Bronx Zoo, one of the most popular tourist attractions in the US financial capital.Fueled by strong gusts of frigid wind, the flames quickly raced through the building.
More than 160 firefighters rushed to the scene and took some three hours to control the blaze, local media reported. In the bitter cold, water leaking from the hoses froze on the pavement.Three girls ? aged one, two and seven ? and an unidentified boy were among the dead, police said Friday. A 19-year-old woman was also killed.
Tearful residents said they heard cries of ?fire, fire? in the building followed by a mad rush to exit the smoke-filled building. Many fled into the frigid night with just the clothes on their backs.The cause of the fire has yet to be determined. The plaster and brick structure, built in 1916, was not fireproof and had six open violations including for a defective smoke detector, New York Times reported. Mayor Bill de Blasio called it an ?unspeakable tragedy,? in the middle of the holiday season, as the city of 8.5 million straddles Christmas and New Year festivities.

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