7 children killed in Brooklyn fire

A fire tore through a Brooklyn home early Saturday morning, killing seven children and leaving two other people in critical condition, authorities said. Firefighters received the call at 12:23 a.m.

News 12 Staff

Mar 22, 2015, 3:13 AM

Updated 3,495 days ago

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A fire tore through a Brooklyn home early Saturday morning, killing seven children and leaving two other people in critical condition, authorities said.
Firefighters received the call at 12:23 a.m. about the blaze at a single-family home in Brooklyn's Midwood neighborhood. More than 100 firefighters responded and brought the blaze under control at around 1:30 a.m.
The victims who died were all members of the same family. They have been identified as Eliane Sasson, 16; David, 12; Rivkah, 11; Yeshua, 10; Moshe, 8; Sara, 6; and Yaakob, 5.
The survivors are the children's mother and her eldest daughter, who were able to escape the structure, officials say.
It marks the deadliest fire in New York City in seven years, according to authorities.
Mayor Bill de Blasio toured the home at around noon Saturday and held a brief press conference afterward. He called the fire an "unbelievable tragedy," and said the community and the firefighters who responded to the scene would need time to heal. He commended the FDNY for its quick response time.
FDNY Commissioner Daniel Nigro said the fire started in the kitchen on a hot plate. The device apparently got too hot and broke out in flames that quickly spread to the home's second floor, where the family was sleeping.
The seven children who died suffered both burns and smoke inhalation, Nigro said.