Thirteen people died Wednesday morning after firefighters responded to a blaze at Philadelphia Housing Authority apartments.
The fire department has confirmed the 13 deaths, which include 7 children, according to CBSN Philly. Firefighters reportedly responded to the call inside a building, divided into two apartments, located in Philadelphia’s Fairmount neighborhood at 6:40 a.m., and managed to get the blaze under control by 7:30 a.m. (RELATED: Watch As Man Reportedly Sets Himself On Fire Over Vaccine Mandate)
Fire official confirm 13 people were found dead after a fire in #Philly’s Fairmount section this morning https://t.co/vMx8vvhdh4 @CBSPhilly pic.twitter.com/9WD9vcQXTs
— Matt Petrillo (@MattPetrillo) January 5, 2022
“This is without a doubt one of the most tragic days in our city’s history,” said Democratic Philadelphia Mayor Jim Kenney during a news conference. “Please keep all these folks, and especially these children, in your prayers. Losing so many kids is just devastating.”
PFD responded to a fatal fire this morning on the 800 block of N. 23rd St. The fire is under control but the scene is still active.
— Philadelphia Fire (@PhillyFireDept) January 5, 2022
“I’ve been around for 35 years now and this is probably one of the worst fires I’ve ever been to,” explained Philadelphia Deputy Fire Commissioner Craig Murphy during the conference. “We plan on and intend on getting a cause for this fire. We plan on making sure that this tremendous loss of life did not happen in vain.”
Due to the loss of life, the Philadelphia Fire Department’s Fire Marshals Office is investigating the blaze, CBSN Philly reported. However, the fire is not considered suspicious at this time, the outlet noted.