HORRIFIC

Smoke Inhalation Killed All 17 Victims in Bronx Apartment Blaze

The New York City Medical Examiner’s office said officials are still working to confirm the identities of everyone who died.

All 17 victims of the inferno that engulfed a 19-story apartment building in the Bronx were killed by smoke inhalation, the New York City Medical Examiner said on Tuesday. The medical examiner’s office added that officials are still working to confirm the identities of the deceased. Sunday’s victims included eight children, the youngest just 3 years old. More than 60 other people suffered injuries in the blaze, according to the New York City Fire Department. Smoke and heat from the fire, sparked by a faulty space heater, spread rapidly through the building after a safety door was left open. The door and the space heater are at the heart of an ongoing investigation. FDNY Commissioner Daniel Nigro said Sunday that smoke was found on every floor of the building. He warned that the death toll could still rise, as several residents in the hospital are still “fighting for their lives.”