Child killed, multiple police officers and residents injured in Ewing Township, New Jersey, fire
A child died and multiple people were injured in a condo building fire in Ewing Township, New Jersey, Thursday afternoon.
The fire broke out around 3 p.m. at Cambridge Hall at 860 Lower Ferry Road in Mercer County. The first officers to arrive encountered heavy smoke and flames and learned about an entrapped child on the fourth floor in the unit where the fire started, according to a press release from the Ewing Police Department.
Firefighters from all three Ewing departments responded, and some were able to reach the condo, where they rescued an unresponsive 6-year-old who was visiting family. The child died from his injuries at Capital Health Regional Medical Center, police said. Police identified the child as Jayden Gotell-Watkins of Baldwinsville, New York.
A total of 13 police officers, one firefighter and three residents were transported to hospitals for injuries, including minor burns, smoke inhalation and exhaustion, police said.
Several windows are broken, and the building has fire and smoke damage.
American Red Cross New Jersey, which was at the scene to help residents, said 12 condos were damaged and 16 people were displaced.
"There was a lot of fire coming out of the window, a lot of black smoke," one witness said.
Joey Cvoliga saw the fire from his home across the street.
"I saw all the blue lights and everything ... and there was smoke coming off the roof, it was terrible," Cvoliga said.
Police said Friday that the cause of the fire was deemed accidental.