Day care workers in Bayonne called 'heroes' for saving children while building next door goes up in flames

The day care says 12 babies under 6 months old were placed into their rolling cribs and rolled out the door to a safe location.

Lauren Due

Nov 25, 2024, 5:39 PM

Updated 30 days ago

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New surveillance video shows the moments day care teachers in Bayonne evacuated 59 kids as a building next door went up in flames.
The Smile of a Child 1&2 Daycare says 12 babies under 6 months old were placed into their rolling cribs and rolled out the door to a safe location.
Another video shows the toddlers evacuating in such an orderly fashion as smoke filled the air. The day care calls the staff true heroes for getting all 59 kids to safety.
"We usually do the fire drills," said Sandra Abdou, Daycare Teacher. "They formed a single line. We were able to get them out as quickly as possible".
"I take care of my kids, that's it. All the kids, there was no tiny scratch on them," Hanam Youssef, a day care teacher.
"I know their kids are their treasures, once we have them, they start to be our treasures as well," said Mary Nassim, Smile of a Child 1&2 owner.
The Hudson County Prosecutor’s Office says the fire started in an apartment bedroom then spread to the nearby adjoining structures damaging six apartments and leaving 17 people without a home.
The fire started Friday before 12 p.m. on Avenue C between 19th and 20th streets in Bayonne and was put under control by 1:30 p.m.
No injuries or fatalities were reported. The Hudson County Regional Arson Task Force is investigating the cause.