NEW YORK– A fire ripped through several apartments in Upper Manhattan on Tuesday morning, injuring 15 people.
Flames could be seen shooting from a six-story apartment building on West 204th Street near Sherman Avenue in the Inwood neighborhood. Hours later, the smell of smoke lingered in the air.
Officials said the fire started on the first floor around 8:30 a.m. and then worked its way to the top.
More than 130 emergency workers showed up to get the flames under control. Some remained on site into the early afternoon to monitor hotspots.
A total of 15 people were injured, including one firefighter, officials said. Ten of the victims were rushed to local hospitals, while the others were treated at the scene.
CBS News New York’s John Dias spoke with a man who lives indoors and uses a wheelchair to get around.
“It was very hot and smoky,” he said. “I was so down, knocking on doors and shouting, ‘fire, fire, get out!'”
The man said he believes the fire was caused by electrical problems, but fire officials are still investigating the cause.
Johannes Dias
