New York City officials have declared the Bronx Fire at 19-story Apartment Building in Flames one of New York’s most serious in 30 Years.

After identifying at most 63 victims of smoke- and fire injuries, the commissioner of New York City Fire Department stated that he anticipates many fatalities. There were at least 32 individuals who sustained serious injuries and were taken to the hospital.

According to Dan Nigro, the FDNY Commissioner, severe smoke inhalation is what caused most of the victims. Many victims suffered from cardiac or respiratory arrest were discovered by firefighters as they raced into the fire.

Nigro stated that there were “certainly people trapped in their apartment all throughout this building,” calling the smoke conditions “unprecedented.”

Investigators working with fire investigators found that the cause of the flames was a duplex apartment located on the second floor. According to the commissioner, smoke billowing up from the building was a result of the open door at the apartment.

Nigro stated that it was unusual for the smoke to extend the length of the building.

According to estimates, around 200 officers responded at 11 AM to the emergency call from East 181st Street on Fordham Heights. Before 1 p.m., the fire was outlawed.

Mayor Eric Adams declared that this was going to be the “worst fire we’ve ever seen here in New York” during an afternoon press conference.

Adams and Nigro called Sunday’s fire one of the most devastating in recent history. The Bronx lost 87 people to the Happy Land Fire in 1990.

The Angelo Patri Middle school on Webster Avenue was opened to any residents who have been displaced by fire, police said Sunday afternoon.

Social media video shows thick smoke rising from lower floors of the building, where firefighters appear to have focused their attention.

When asked about the rumors on social media that a resident had jumped from the building in an attempt to escape danger, the commissioner stated that someone could have fallen while trying to climb onto the fire ladder. However, he has not been contacted by any reports.

Although fire marshals were on the scene to investigate the cause of the flames, the commissioner stated that he does not believe investigators would find the source suspicious.