By Aaron Miller-
Four children are among the 12 victims of a deadly fire at an apartment building in the Bronx borough of New York. Amongst them was a one-year-old child. The others were aged two and seven.
The cause of the fire on Prospect Avenue near Fordham University and the Bronx Zoo remains unclear. New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio said the fire was the deadliest in the city for at least 25 years
Panicking residents fled the fire without shoes on their much-needed winter jackets, as the smell of death suddenly took priority. The fire at the five-story building started on the first floor and quickly spread around 1900 local time.
Residents fortunate enough to escape unharmed had to manage in extremely freezing conditions. A school not far from the disastrous scene was used to shelter those who had safely evacuated the building. The death toll may still rise, but this disaster is not expected to match that of the Greenfell fire in England that killed over 80 people this year.
Speculations of an arson attack have been uttered by some of the youth in the area, but no evidence has yet been provided to support this. Investigations into the fire commence today, and the new year will start with deep grief and sorrow for the families of the dead. Our hearts and .prayers are with them,