New York City Fire Department worked a two-alarm fire at 869 Fox Street in the Bronx (
New York City Fire Department worked a two-alarm fire at 869 Fox Street in the Bronx (Picture: New York City Fire Department)

A gas explosion in the Bronx reportedly caused a three-story home to collapse in flames, killing one person and injuring at least eight more including several police officers.

Police responded to a call about a building fire shortly before 11am on Tuesday in the New York City borough. More than 100 firefighters and emergency responders were dispatched to the two-alarm fire on Intervale Avenue, according to the Daily Mail.

An 82-year-old woman caught in the fire was pronounced dead at Lincoln Hospital, according to the New York Police Department (FDNY). Another victim, 77, is in critical condition and an 86-year-old woman was transported to Lincoln Hospital to be treated for smoke inhalation, NY1 reported.

Fire officials said they arrived at the scene within four minutes of the initial call.

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‘There were two sisters from the fire building that were inside the building when it exploded, and our units saw them laying on the ground outside,’ said FDNY Chief of Operations Thomas Richardson.

Both sisters were rushed to the hospital, but only one survived, officials said.

Five cops were transported to Lincoln Hospital also for smoke inhalation, according to CBS 2.

While the official cause of the fire has not yet been determined, authorities suspect it was owed to a gas explosion. Following the incident, Con Edison shut down gas in the area. There has been no indication so far of criminality.

The New York Police Department responded to a massive fire in the Longwood section of the Bronx that has caused a partial building collapse
The New York Police Department responded to a massive fire in the Longwood section of the Bronx that has caused a partial building collapse (Picture: REX)

Police body camera video showed officers rescuing people from the collapsing home.

‘We saved lives today,’ New York City Mayor Eric Adams said. ‘Our actions saved lives.’

The fiery collapse occurred just nine days after an inferno killed 17 people, including eight children, three miles away in a Bronx apartment. Officials initially said that 19 people were dead, including nine children. The fire at the two-story apartment was attributed to a space heater malfunction that ignited the second and third floors of the structure.

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