Tragic temple fire in New York kills Buddhist monk
A devastating fire tore through a Buddhist temple in The Bronx, New York City, early Wednesday morning, February 12, leaving two people dead, including a Buddhist monk.
The blaze, which erupted around 6am, quickly engulfed the small temple and a neighbouring residence for monks, causing irreversible damage.
FDNY Chief of Department John Esposito confirmed the tragedy.
“We had fire throughout two buildings, and unfortunately, we did have two fatalities.”
As of yesterday morning, local police had yet to release the names of the victims, as families were still being notified.
The temple, a white, two-story townhouse, was left in ruins. Mayuree Sriphirom, the temple’s treasurer, expressed the Thai community’s devastation: “It’s a disaster right now, the temple. But I was so shocked. I will try my best, and the Thai community will come together to help, all around the world, whatever they can do.”
According to fire officials, the blaze was accidental, caused by a space heater placed too close to flammable materials.
Temple community support worker Pam Sudbanthad recounted the terrifying moments inside the building. She told the Daily News that residents were asleep when the fire broke out.
“The clothes that were close to the space heater caught fire. One of the monks was already downstairs praying. He heard the man whose space heater caught fire shouting, telling everyone there was a fire. So the monk who was praying started waking up everybody.”
Despite their efforts to escape, two people did not make it out alive. One of the victims, a monk, reportedly suffered from pre-existing health conditions, which may have hindered his ability to evacuate in time.
As flames rapidly spread, firefighters struggled to gain access due to illegally parked cars blocking fire hydrants.
Chief Esposito voiced his frustration.
“We did unfortunately have a car parked on the closest fire hydrant. We’ve seen that now a couple of times in the last week throughout the city. We all know that we should not be parking on fire hydrants, and when you do, it slows us down. When we’re fighting a fire, seconds count.”
This fatal fire is one of several recent blazes hindered by illegally parked cars, sparking renewed concerns over fire safety regulations, reported AP News.
Investigators continue to assess the full extent of the damage while the Buddhist community mourns this heartbreaking loss.
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