BRONX – A fast-moving fire tore through a Bronx apartment building Wednesday afternoon, injuring 12 people, including nine children, as neighbors rushed to save kids trapped inside.
Witnesses described the scene as chaotic, people screaming, smoke pouring out of windows, and children being carried down ladders to safety.
What we know:
The fire broke out just after 4 p.m. on the third floor of a building at Ryer Avenue and East 181st Street in the Fordham Heights section of the Bronx, according to the FDNY.
Flames quickly spread through the apartment as residents screamed for help.
Video shows flames bursting through shattered windows, thick black smoke pouring out, and frightened tenants fleeing across sidewalk scaffolding to escape.
The windows of the apartment were blown out, and children could be heard crying for help.
Neighbors rush to safety 
Dig deeper:
Before firefighters arrived, nearby residents jumped into action climbing the fire escape to reach the children trapped inside.
One man tells FOX 5 NY‘s Jessica Formoso he battled smoke and heat before managing to pull two of the three children to safety.
“I went all the way to the bathroom and one of them was in the bathroom, like on the corner. So I grabbed him and then he was like, ‘my brother, my brother, my brother.’ So I tried to grab other kids, then I grabbed both of them,” he explains.
Authorities say firefighters rescued the third child, who had been trapped in the apartment.
All 12 victims were taken to nearby hospitals.
One person was initially listed in critical condition but was later upgraded to stable, police said. The remaining victims were treated for smoke inhalation and minor injuries.
What we don’t know:
The fire was brought under control at 4:55 p.m., according to the FDNY. The cause remains under investigation.
The Source: This report is based on information from the FDNY.