Up to 13 people remained in critical condition Monday, with many more hospitalized, after New York City's deadliest fire in three decades tore through a towering Bronx apartment complex, killing over a dozen. Eight were children.
The initial death toll has been lowered to 17, including eight children, Mayor Eric Adams announced Monday. In the immediate aftermath of Sunday's devastating blaze, city officials had confirmed 19 deaths connected to the fire.
Investigators determined that a malfunctioning electric space heater, plugged in to give extra heat on a cold morning, started the fire in the 19-story building on 181st Street early Sunday afternoon. A door left open in the burning apartment fueled the spread of flames and ultimately the devastating loss of life and property.
The flames damaged only a small part of the building, but smoke escaped through that open door and billowed through stairwells and halls, trapping many people in their apartments and incapacitating others as they fled. Most of the deaths were due to smoke inhalation, and many of those victims were found in hallways.
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