A deadly fire has resulted in the deaths of three people and countless of others injured overnight earlier this week. According to authorities, firefighters were called to a fire that broke out on the 207 Dyckman Street apartment building in Inwood on Monday after midnight.
The fire broke out on the second floor of the six-story building, where firefighters found the bodies of three people, who were all announced dead at the scene. Over 200 fire and EMS personnel responded to combat the blaze. Five people were rescued in critical condition, while four others had moderate to minor injuries. Multiple firefighters had also suffered minor injuries.
This fire comes after the owner of the apartment, JanJan Realty Corp, and its president, were sued by NYC’s Department of Housing Preservation and Development over multiple safety violations a week prior. Additionally, the lawsuit alleged that the company purposely neglected the building to “harass and displace rent-stabilized tenants.” These violations include the 207 building and the 209 building adjacent to it, which JanJan Reality Corp also owns.
Among the 200 housing code violations, according to the Gothamist, the building is alleged to have included broken flame retardant, missing smoke and carbon monoxide detectors, peeling lead paint, collapsed ceilings, gas outages, water leaks, mold, and more.
