Two people died in a fast-moving fire early Monday morning in Belmont, the FDNY says.
The fire broke out around 1:30 a.m. on the first floor of 2381 Hoffman St. Firefighters say it quickly spread because an apartment door was left open.
Authorities say two men were killed. Their identities have not yet been released. Eight others, including a firefighter, were taken to NYC Health + Hospitals/Jacobi. One woman remained in critical condition.
Witnesses say they saw people jumping from the top of the building to escape the flames.
The Red Cross says it is assisting eight displaced families.
The cause of the fire is under investigation.
This is the second deadly fire in the neighborhood within the past couple of months. A late-December fire on Prospect Avenue killed 13 people.