ELIZABETH, N.J. (1010 WINS) — Four people including three young girls were killed in a fire in New Jersey, the mayor of Elizabeth said Tuesday.
The five-alarm blaze broke out in the building at around 6 p.m. on Monday, and was under control about two hours later, authorities said.
Two girls, 8-year-old Daniela Marquez and a family friend, 11-year-old Elizabeth Correas died inside the building. Their bodies were recovered Monday night.
According to the city's mayor, Christian Bollwage, Marquez and Correas attempted to escape through the doors of their second floor furniture store along with the younger Marquez's mom, but the exit was blocked by bars.
The mother, later identified as Merlyn Vasquez remains hospitalized in the intensive care unit as of Tuesday.
Marquez's 10-year-old sister Paola was among those found Tuesday morning in the rubble along with another woman identified as Candida Martinez-Del Reyes.
"This is a really sad day, whenever a young person loses their life," Bollwage said.
Over 100 firefighter battled an incredible amount of smoke fueled by wooden cribs and other furniture inside the store.
Firefighters had to pry open the locked bars on a converted second-floor door, during the rescue attempt and all of the victims were all found near the locked gate.
"It was hard to control from spreading," Elizabeth Fire Director Pat Byrnes said. "We didn't see white smoke until an hour. It was constant black smoke, and we were putting lot of water on it."
The fire displaced 24 people from eight families, officials said.
The American Red Cross of New Jersey said they were assisting these families with temporary housing, clothing and food.
An investigation into the cause of the fire remains ongoing.
