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The largest fire in the United States killed 19 people

According to city officials, the fire in a residential building in the New York quarter of the Bronx has become one of the most destructive in the history of New York. 19 people died, including 9 children, 63 people were injured. More than 200 firefighters fought the fire.

According to preliminary data, the cause of the fire was a faulty electric heater left in working condition in one of the apartments. Fire and smoke instantly spread throughout the building, blocking many of the residents' path to the exit. At the same time, the house was equipped with a fire alarm, which worked normally. However, many fire victims ignored the siren, as the alarm in the house was falsely triggered several times.

The building was inhabited mainly by representatives of Muslim minorities, in particular immigrants from the Gambia. Now the city authorities are concerned about organizing the funerals of the victims in accordance with Islamic traditions. In addition, representatives of the community have been attracted to help the victims of the fire, temporarily accommodated in the building of a nearby school.

According to the New York City Fire Department, the last time a fire of this magnitude in the city occurred in 1990 was at a club in the Bronx, when 87 people died from the fire. Major home fires due to careless fire handling are not uncommon in New York City. In 2017, in the same Bronx, 13 people were killed by fire. Then a small child played next to the stove and did not follow the escaping flame. And in 2007, ten people became victims of the fire. As now, then the cause of the fire was a faulty electrical appliance.

A major fire broke out in Philadelphia last week. As a result of the fire in a residential building, 12 people died. The reason has not yet been precisely established, however, according to one of the versions, a New Year tree, which was accidentally set on fire by a five-year-old child while playing with a lighter, became the fire source.

The largest fire in the United States killed 19 people