WATCH: Video shows deadly high-rise blaze in New York City apartment that left 38 injured

New York firefighters praised for the daring rescue of a woman in the Manhattan fire (Image via Twitter @/NYCFireWire)
New York firefighters praised for the daring rescue of a woman in the Manhattan fire (Image via Twitter @/NYCFireWire)

On Saturday, November 5, 2022, a massive fire broke out in a New York apartment that injured 38 people, with two of them in critical condition. The fire reportedly broke out on the twentieth floor of the apartment around 10.25 am on Saturday.

Videos of smoke billowing out of the broken windows of the 20th floor apartment and a daring but 'life-saving' rope rescue by the Fire Department of New York have gained a lot of views online. The rare method was used to rescue a woman dangling from 20 stories above.

In the tense video, the woman is seen surrounded by firefighters as at least four of them try to free her from the window guard. The intricate rescue involved a firefighter, identified as Artur Podgorski, on a rope secured inside the apartment directly above.

He wrapped his limbs around the dangling woman before they were lowered to the apartment below by the other firefighters. She was pulled inside another apartment by another firefighter.

People on the internet commended the bravery of the New York firefighters and the effort that went into saving the life of the woman who was hanging precariously.


New York fire involved a "last resort" rescue method

A Manhattan building at 429 East 52nd Street went ablaze at around 10.25 am. Out of the 38 people injured, two are said to be in critical condition and five are EMS members. The dramatic rescue included getting a woman who was dangling from the twentieth floor window down safely.

The rope rescue also involved freeing the woman from the window guard. The Fire Department of New York said that this kind of rope rescue was considered to be a "last resort." At a news conference, Darren Harsch, one of the four firefighters involved in the risky endeavor, said:

"This is an extremely rare type of rescue. We don’t do this often."

FDNY Commissioner Laura Kavanagh said at a press conference on Saturday that the blaze was caused by a lithium-ion battery connected to a micromobility device, which includes both scooters and e-bikes.

It remains to be seen how many residents were impacted by the fire. FDNY further stated that the NYPD Aviation Unit checked to make sure no one was trapped on the roof of the 37-story building and the stairwells. 63-year-old Igor Mihailevschi, a resident of the building, told The Post:

"I ran down all 26 flights of stairs. Everybody was screaming and there was smoke everywhere and I looked out the window and saw someone waving at me to get out."

Other residents recounted horrific stories of escaping the building to media outlets. A number of residents were transported to local hospitals.

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Edited by Prem Deshpande
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