24 March 2023 , 20:15
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A large blaze erupted on the ground floor of a building in Manhattan's Chinatown in New York City on Friday afternoon.
Firefighters rushed to the scene and are trying their best to extinguish it. Three people have reportedly been injured in the incident.
The three-alarm fire began at about 2.30pm local time (6.30pm GMT) on the building's first floor, FDNY officials said.
More information on the circumstances under which the fire broke out or the condition of the injured is not known yet.
The New York City Fire Department wrote on Twitter: "FDNY members are currently operating at a three-alarm fire at 47 Mott Street in Manhattan. Operations are ongoing."
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A mother and child are rescued from a burning building as firefighters work to extinguish the fire (Getty Images)It is understood that the fire quickly spread to the upper floors of the building, too.
The building appears to have souvenir shops on its ground floor and apartments above, according to Patch.
According to tweets from FDNY personnel, all available resources are being used to fight the fire.
Firefighters raised a third alarm, indicating the need for even more resources as the flames extended beyond the fourth floor. A total of five fire hoses are in use.
Police clear the area as firefighters work to extinguish a three-alarm fire in the heart of Chinatown (Getty Images)Firefighters said that a ground-floor fire had extended to the second, third, and fourth floors.
The bulk of the flames have been extinguished from the ground, first, and second floors. However, firefighters have not yet clarified whether there are any people still inside the building.
A woman with a child in her arms was captured being rescued from the menacing flames.
The fire broke out in an area of the neighbourhood popular with tourists, locals, and restaurant goers (Getty Images)Unconfirmed reports suggest that people may be trapped on the fourth floor of the burning building.
EMS personnel are currently treating two people with minor injuries, and firefighters have advised of a third person with unspecified injuries.
A Citizen user captured video of the fire burning through a nearby building. Police at the scene are assisting with crowd control and traffic management.
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