2 men, 2 women killed in fire at bike shop on Lower East Side
Officials say the victims who died in the fire were men and two were women. At least two civilians and one firefighter were also treated for injuries. Derick Waller reports.
LOWER EAST SIDE, Manhattan (WABC) -- Four people were killed in a smoky fire that broke out in a Lower East Side bike shop.
Officials say the blaze began at around 12:15 a.m. Tuesday inside the store on Madison Street. A nearby deli worker called 911.
Heavy smoke came from the building as firefighters pulled out numerous residents.
"We arrived in just about four minutes. We found heavy fire in an e-bike store, which is located on the first floor," Deputy Assistant Chief John Sarrocco said.
When e-bikes catch fire, it is typically not a slow burn. It is more of an explosion that is difficult for firefighters to put out.
Fire officials say the bike shop is part of a six-story building with multiple dwellings above it. The bike shop was not believed to be open at the time of the fire.
Officials say two of the victims who died in the fire were men and two were women. One of the men was 71-years-old.
At least two women were critically injured. All victims were taken to local hospitals, including the NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital Cornell burn unit.
Another resident was treated and released at the scene and a firefighter was checked out for minor injuries, authorities said.
"A friend of mine came in and yelled 'there's a fire next door. I step out, I see the flames so hot it's going through the metal gate. I knew it was the bike store, so I called the fire department, but the fire kept getting bigger and bigger and it took them awhile to stop the fire," eyewitness Belal Alayah said.
Firefighter continued to fight flames, fueled by highly flammable lithium ion batteries, through the morning hours. They could be seen pulling dozens of e-bikes from the store and piled them up in front of the fire building.
The fire is under investigation.
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Source: WABC-TV
