7-year-old boy killed, several others hurt in Newark house blaze – NJ.com
A 7-year-old boy was killed Thursday in a fire that ripped through a home in Newark and injured several other residents, authorities said.
“There’s one fatality – a young child,” said Kathy Carter, spokeswoman for the Essex County Prosecutor’s Office, which is investigating.
The fire was reported about 4:50 a.m. in a three-story home on Astor Street, according to Newark Public Safety Director Brian A. O’Hara.
The child’s body was found on the third floor. “(His) father escaped the home through the front door and attempted to re-enter via the roof” from the house next door, O’Hara said.
Newark firefighters climbed a ladder to bring the father down from the structure, which had also caught fire, O’Hara said.
Video from the scene showed heavy flames and smoke shooting from the home. O’Hara said the fire extended to two buildings on either side of the home.
“The main building (was) occupied by two adults and three children who were transported to University Hospital for treatment,” O’Hara said, adding that three adults and four children from three families were relocated.
The cause of the fire is under investigation, authorities said.
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Anthony G. Attrino may be reached at tattrino@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @TonyAttrino. Find NJ.com on Facebook.