Two dead in roaring Queens residential fire that destroyed three buildings, damaged two others — ‘dark tornado’ with flames
Two people died in a basement apartment Friday when a “dark tornado” hurled flames that ripped through a residential neighborhood in Queens, fire officials and witnesses said.
The fatalities were discovered in a building on 125th St. near Liberty Ave. in South Ozone Park at around 4:45 p.m., shortly after firefighters reported the blaze was under control, officials at the scene said.
Three buildings were destroyed, and two more were severely damaged.
Neighborhood resident Tony Nagamootoo said he saw the fire erupt. “It was like a dark tornado, but with flames,” he said.
“There was smoke from the second floor, and then a flash” from the building where the blaze began, said Nagamootoo, 47.
“The fire came out the front door and the wind took it to the entire house,” he said.
“The house to the left went up next. It crossed the alleyway and they were both burning at the same time.
“The wind shifted and it caught the house on the right. Then houses on both sides got caught.”
Firefighters were called to the scene around 2:20 p.m., the Fire Department’s Twitter feed said. The blaze went to five alarms at around 3 p.m.
Radat Singh said her daughter-in-law was in the shower of her family home when she saw smoke, and made a run for it.
“When she ran out, it was all flames,” said Singh, 54, a home health aide.
“When I came home from work, everything was gone. My house is like a skeleton. I’ve lost everything,” Singh said.
Singh’s home is next to the building where firefighters found the two bodies. “We’ve been trying to call them, but they aren’t picking up,” she said.
The blaze destroyed three buildings, and damaged two others. All the buildings are residences. Twenty-nine adults and 13 children were made homeless in the fire, officials said.
Embers flew across the street to Nagamootoo’s home, where they set ablaze a gable of his home.
Authorities did not immediately disclose the identities of the two deceased. On Friday evening, firefighters were scouring the destruction for other victims.
