At approximately 3:47am on Tuesday, a four alarm blaze broke out in a six-story residential building in lower Manhattan’s Chinatown neighborhood. The fire, at 22 James Street, left one resident dead and injured 28 others.
The identity of the deceased, a 32 year-old man who lived on the 3rd floor of the building, was not immediately available.
Three residents were injured seriously as they attempted to escape the flames and smoke by jumping from the building.
Eight firemen, who responded to the blaze, were treated for minor injuries.
The roof of the building partially collapsed due to the intensity of the flames. The fire took over five hours to contain.
The building housed about 200 residents.
The fire is currently under investigation. The source of the inferno remains unclear. The New York City Department of Buildings had issued the building a violation for “defective exposed electrical wiring” on January 26th, 2009, although the issue was documented as resolved on January 28th.
News Report by New York Trial Lawyers