New York Fire Department: 7 children die in Brooklyn fire

Firefighters walk near the scene of a fire, center left, in which seven children died in the Brooklyn borough of New York Saturday, March 21, 2015. (AP Photo/Craig Ruttle) Firefighters walk near the scene of a fire, center left, in which seven children died in the Brooklyn borough of New York Saturday, March 21, 2015. (AP Photo/Craig Ruttle)

By Associated Press March 21, 2015 2 min read

NEW YORK (AP) – Fire tore through a Brooklyn home early Saturday, killing seven children and leaving two other people in critical condition, authorities said.

The dead are children ranging in age from 5 to 15 years old, and they are believed to be family members, New York Fire Department spokesman Jim Long said.

Firefighters received a call at 12:23 a.m. about the blaze at a single-family home in Midwood, a leafy section of Brooklyn known for its low crime and large Orthodox Jewish population. Long said more than 100 firefighters responded and brought the blaze under control at around 1:30 a.m.

There was no immediate word on the cause of the fire. Long said it was being investigated by the city fire marshal’s office.

Fire officials had no other immediate details, but the New York Post reported the blaze occurred in a brick home.