Philadelphia – almost 13 people were pronounced dead after a row house in the area of Fairmount caught fire.
According to the reports, 2 people were transferred to the hospital in serious condition.
The identities of the victims were not revealed by the authorities but the neighbors told the news outlets that there were a number of children living in the row house.
A neighbor, Bill Richards who lived in the same block for 24 years stated that he heard a woman yelling “oh my God! Oh my God!”. Moments later he heard sirens and fire trucks.
The street was totally taken over by the fire trucks.
When the fire department reached the building it was completely engulfed in the fire which started from the 2nd story of a three-story house. It took more than 50 minutes for the fire department to extinguish the fire completely.
“It’s very upsetting,” Richards said. “I just can’t wrap myself around it.”
“It’s a great neighborhood – a varied neighborhood. There are houses that have single families, multi-families, there are apartments, a lot of renters but there are single families. I’ve been here for 24 years. I love the neighborhood,” Richards said.
According to the reports, a fire broke out in the house around 6:40 am in the 800 block of N. 23rd Street.
According to the neighbors, a fire had broken down in the same house at the time of thanksgiving also.
“Twice,” said a neighbor. “It’s horrible.”
