5 Dead in Raging Brooklyn Blaze

An out-of-control fire at a Bensonhurst apartment building killed five, and caused a mother to throw two children out a window early this morning. "It was not a normal fire," said FDNY Deputy Assistant Chief John Sudnik. According to the Daily News the blaze, that firefighters battled for over three hours, started at a first-floor restaurant, though the exact cause is unknown.

One child that the woman threw out the window, her 2-month old daughter, fell to the sidewalk and suffered serious head trauma. "Oh man, she looked really hurt," said a neighbor, who quickly reacted and caught the second child. Child-safety bars on the building, located at 2033 86th Street near 20th Avenue, kept the mom from getting out herself, and rescuers fear she is one of five others who died in the flames. Another thirteen firefighters were injured before the fire was declared in control at 5:15 a.m. but they’re still looking for more victims in the rubble.

As a precaution, the NY Post reports that subway service to the area has been cut-off, since vibrations could cause the burned building to collapse further.