MIDTOWN, Manhattan (PIX11) — A three-alarm fire broke out in a high-rise building in Manhattan Saturday morning, leaving 38 people injured, according to the FDNY.
A call came in of a fire on the 20th floor of a building near East 52nd Street and First Avenue at around 10:30 a.m., according to authorities. Officials said they received multiple calls and reports of people trapped. The FDNY said that among the 38 people who were injured, two sustained critical injuries.
Officials said a lithium-ion battery was the cause of the fire. Residents remote from the fire were told to shelter in place until the fire units made their way up to the apartments.
New York City Mayor Eric Adams and New York Gov. Kathy Hochul both tweeted out statements after the fire:
Thank you to the women and men of New York’s Bravest for their heroic work high above the streets of Manhattan this morning. As of now, we’re relieved to report that while we have two people in critical condition, there have been no fatalities.
@NYCMayor/Twitter
I join all New Yorkers in praying for those injured in an apartment building fire in Manhattan earlier today. Thank you our brave @FDNY first responders who took selfless action to fight the fire and save the lives of our neighbors.
@GovKathyHochul/Twitter
