'VERY UNUSUAL'

Six Children, Two Adults Killed as Fire Tears Through Chicago Apartment Building

Two others are reportedly in very critical condition after the early-morning blaze.

Six children and two adults were killed early Sunday morning when a fire tore through a residential building on Chicago’s West Side. Fire officials say the blaze was one of the worst tragedies seen in the city in years. “We have not had this in many, many, many years, this amount of fatalities and injuries in one location, so this is very unusual,” Fire Commissioner Jose Santiago told reporters. The fire reportedly broke out around 4 a.m. and was reported by a woman returning from work who smelled smoke. The woman, who has not been identified, “saved a lot of lives” by banging on other doors in the building to get people out, Santiago said. The eight victims, including one infant, were all from one residence on the second floor, though they have yet to be identified. Two other people have been hospitalized in very critical condition, and a firefighter was injured but is in good condition. Authorities say the cause of the inferno has yet to be determined but no smoke alarms were found inside the building.