Six Dead, Including 4 Children, in Harlem Fire

A massive apartment fire in Harlem, New York City, claimed the lives of six people early Wednesday morning. Amongst the six victims were four children.

Six people, including four children, died on Wednesday morning after a fast-moving blaze ripped through an affordable housing apartment building in New York City's Harlem neighborhood. Emergency officials responded around 1:40 a.m. to 911 calls.

The Fred Samuels Houses, a New York City Housing Authority building in upper Manhattan, was engulfed with flames on the fifth floor of the seven-story structure. A man, Abdul Salaam, noticed the blaze from the street and called 9-1-1.

“As soon as I saw the flames it was literally in one apartment. They were as vibrant and destructive as possible. It wasn’t pretty. I heard glass breaking, kids yelling,” Abdul Salaam, 25, said. “As the fire is spreading I heard actual voices screaming. They were clearly in fear for their lives.”

Police revealed that a family consisting of a man, woman, two girls, and two boys, were pronounced dead at the scene. The Fire Department of New York City discovered the bodies after firefighters extinguished the flames and cleared residents from the building.

Police said the fire appeared to be an accident. The incident is being investigated and investigators are trying to pinpoint the cause of the fire.