19 including nine children die in New York City apartment fire

The fire quickly consumed the duplex unit spanning the second and third floors where it started.

New York: A malfunctioning electric space heater caused a fire that killed 19 people, including nine children, at a New York City apartment building in the Bronx, the fire commissioner said on Sunday.

FDNY Commissioner Daniel Nigro said the fire quickly consumed the duplex unit spanning the second and third floors where it started.

Flames shot from apartment windows as smoke filled the building. One resident rescued by firefighters said he'd become numb to fire alarms because of frequent false alarms.