3rd child dies after fire at Staten Island home days before Christmas
NEW YORK -- A third child has died following a fire last month on Staten Island.
The flames broke out at around 10:15 a.m. Dec. 23 on Van Duzer Street in the Fox Hill neighborhood.
Fire officials said multiple people were trapped on the second floor.
A boy and girl, ages 5 and 6, died that day. Two other children were hospitalized in critical condition.
Officials announced Wednesday a third child died. He was identified as a 5-year-old boy whose twin brother was also killed.
Two teenagers who were home at the time were treated for minor injuries, along with a firefighter.
FDNY Commissioner Laura Kavanagh and other city officials said the fire was a "terrible tragedy," especially so close to Christmas.
"It's an incredible tragedy. We feel it as New Yorkers," she said. "Our members of course are parents themselves. This is right before Christmas. They do an incredible job. They deal with hard things all the time, but that doesn't mean that this isn't tough. It's tough for all of us."
The cause of the fire has not been determined.
