PHILADELPHIA (KYW Newsradio) — Two men were killed and another was critically hurt in a fire that tore through an apartment building in South Philadelphia early Friday morning.
Firefighters were called to the corner property at Eighth and Salter streets, blocks away from the Italian Market, shortly after 2 a.m. Flames and heavy smoke were spewing from the top two floors of the three-story building.
Crews rescued three people and performed CPR on the victims.
“Some of the fire resources were used, not in suppression or extinguishment of the fire, but they were used to provide really extensive medical care that was necessary for the occupants,” said Deputy Fire Commissioner Gustav Baumann.
A few hours after the victims were taken to the hospital, fire officials confirmed that two of them died. The fire was placed under control and did not spread to connecting properties, officials said.
Investigators with the Philadelphia Fire Marshal’s Office and ATF went through the building. They will determine the cause of the fire and whether or not there were working smoke alarms.