One woman died and three others were hospitalized when a fire tore through a Queens apartment, police said Sunday morning.
The blaze broke out around 11:40 p.m. Saturday inside a fifth-floor apartment of a building located at 87-30 62 Ave in Rego Park, police said.
“The smoke was so thick as you got close to the apartment you couldn’t see your hand in front of your face,” an FDNY source said.
Firefighters discovered 51-year-old Anna Latek inside apartment 5A and rushed her to Elmhurst Hospital, but she could not be saved. Three others were taken to Booth Memorial Hospital in stable condition.
“The fire and smoke were just piling out,” said building resident Igor Pelcamanak. “I am surprised more people didn’t get hurt.”
Multiple residents said Latek lived alone and often kept to herself.
“The EMS worked very hard on her as they brought her out of the building,” a different name recalled. “They wouldn’t stop with the CPR.”
FDNY Fire Marshals will determine the cause of the fire.