A deadly apartment building fire in the Bronx, New York, claimed three lives and three others have sustained minor burn injuries. According to authorities, the fire broke out in the early morning hours and quickly spread to and engulfed all three floors. The fire was so intense that it caused a part of the roof to collapse and spread to adjoining houses, ultimately taking the three lives.
Investigators do not suspect any criminal behavior and are looking to determine the cause of the fire. Witnesses say that they smelled gas before the fire started.
The people who had sustained injuries in the fire were tenants of the original apartment building. The injured were taken to Jacobi Hospital for the treatment and are in stable condition.
The public helped to rescue the people who are trapped in the fire before the arrival of firefighters. The surrounding houses were evacuated out of the fear that the fire was spreading. The tenants of the apartment building and the residents of the nearby houses are being helped by the American Red Cross.
Fires are destructive and can lead to personal injuries and the destruction of all of a person's assets. The prime duty of landlords is to adopt safety measures to avoid fires due to a short circuit or other electrical reasons. Short circuits are among the main causes of building fires. If it is proved that the fire was the result of the landlord's negligence, then tenants have the right to file a lawsuit against the landlord for compensation for their losses, such as medical expenses for their treatment. The families of the victims may also have claims for wrongful death if negligence was involved.
Source: CBS New York, "Victims identified in deadly Bronx fire, no criminality suspected as investigation continues," Jan. 01, 2013
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