
A terrified grandmother frantically called her daughter saying she was going to die in the deadly Bronx apartment fire as she cradled her eight-month-old granddaughter and tried to hide from the flames while lying in a bathtub.

Maria Batiz , 56, was one of the 12 people killed in New York's deadliest blaze in 25 years, which was started by a three-year-old boy playing with a stove in his apartment.

Batiz, who lived on the third-floor in a studio, called her 26-year-old daughter Christine as the flames rapidly engulfed the building from the first-floor and said, 'We're going to die in here!', the New York Daily News reported.

Batiz's brother, Fernando, recalled his last conversation between Christine and his frantic sister, who was caring for eight-month-old Amora Serenity Vidal.

'My niece was telling her, "Get out! What are you doing?" Fernando Batiz told the Daily News. 'I guess (Maria) was hysterical, and she got trapped. She was scared. She said, "We're going to die in here!" She was frantic. I guess the smoke overcame her.'

Two-year-old Kylie Francis, seven-year-old Kelesha Francis, 37-year-old Karen Francis and 19-year-old Shawntay Young are also among the 12 victims who died in the fire that was started accidentally by the little boy, who had a history of playing with the stove.

The boy's mother was not in the same room as him when the fire started but was alerted to it by his screams and she quickly grabbed him and another two-year-old child, Commissioner of the New York City Fire Department Daniel Nigro said.

While fleeing, she left the door open to the first-floor apartment, which caused the fire to then immediately spread up the stairs to the fifth floor in the building. She didn't warn any of her neighbors as she fled the burning building.

Nigro said, 'the stairway acted like a chimney.'

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Tragic: Officials say the youngest victim in the fire that destroyed the apartment building near the Bronx Zoo is eight-month-old Amora Serenity Vidal (center) who died in a bathtub while being held by her 56-year-old grandmother, Maria Batiz (left), who also perished in the blaze. The child's mother, Christine (right), is distraught by the tragedy

Heartbreaking: A three-year-old boy playing with the gas burner on the stove inside of a first-floor apartment started the deadly Bronx building fire that killed 12 people left more than 15 injured Thursday night. A relative at the scene identified two- and seven-year-old sisters, Kylie (left) and Kelesha (right) Francis, as victims of the fire

The girls' mother, 37-year-old Karen Francis (left) also died in the historic blaze on Thursday night. Shawntay Young (right), aged 19, has also been identified as a victim in the fire

Fire Commissioner Daniel Nigro said during a press conference on Friday morning that the young boy had a history of playing with the burners and turning them. Nigro said the boy's mother was not in the same room as him when the fire started but was alerted to it by his screams

She quickly grabbed him and a two-year-old child before running out of the first-floor apartment

Nigro (above on Friday) said that she left the door open, which caused the fire to quickly spread up the open stairs like a chimney to the fifth floor in the building

Of the 12 who perished, Nigro said seven women and five men are among the dead from the horrific blaze. He also said that in those numbers, five of the victims are children

The five-alarm fire broke out a little before 7pm on the first floor of a brick building at East 185th Street and Prospect Avenue. Above people react near the scene of the blaze

'It took the fire so quickly upstairs that people had very little time to react. They couldn't get back down the stairs. Of those that tried, a few perished. Others were helped out onto the fire escapes, taken down by our members,' he added.

Of the 12 who perished, Nigro said seven women and five men are among the dead. He also said that in those numbers, five of the victims are children.

'This tragedy is, without question, historic in its magnitude,' Nigro said. 'Our hearts go out to every family who lost a loved one here and everyone fighting for their lives.'

Officials have not released the names of the victims who died in the historic blaze, but victims' relatives are coming forward.

If unfortunately you do have a fire in your apartment, you must close the door when you exit. Daniel Nigro, Commissioner of the New York City Fire Department

Christine has created a GoFundMe to raise money for the funeral costs for her mother and her baby girl.

Another distraught relative, Elain Williams, identified four of her family members who all tragically perished in the blaze.

She told the New York Post that her two nieces Kylie Francis, aged two, and Kelesha Francis, aged seven, died, along with their 37-year-old mother, Karen Francis, who is her sister. She said she also lost her 19-year-old daughter Shawntay Young.

Williams said that she lived in a basement apartment at 2363 Prospect Avenue. She was heading home from work when she got a phone call saying the building was on fire and she rushed to the scene.

'I was calling my daughter to see where she is — accidentally she [was] upstairs at her aunt's. She got caught in the fire too,' Williams told the Post.

She explained that when she went to Jacobi Medical Center, she found out the four family members were all dead.

'I feel so empty… so lost,' she said. 'Standing right here my soul is gone. Four [victims], one family? Come on now — I don't wish that on my worst enemy.'

Williams said that her brother-in-law, Francis Holt, is recovering in a hospital from his injuries.

Police and fire officials revealed on Friday:

An unidentified boy died in the blaze along with two other women aged 19 and 63

Five alarm Bronx blaze that killed 12 and injured 15 started just before 7pm on Thursday night

Boy, aged 3, was playing with gas stove and ignited fire on first-floor; his mom fled apartment with him leaving the door open, which caused blaze to rapidly spread up to the fifth floor like a chimney

It took an estimated 170 firefighters working in just 15 degrees to rescue people from the building

Howard Alkoff's D & E Equities purchased the building with 26 apartments from the city in 1984 for $31,029

The building, which has no elevator, had at least six open building code violations, according to city records

Fire commissioner advises people to shut the door when exiting apartment fire to stop flames from spreading

Anyone who needs to check on loved ones or relatives who may have been in the building are asked to call 311

The five-alarm fire broke out a little before 7pm at the building at East 185th Street and Prospect Avenue. Investigators said a natural gas line may have helped to fuel the flames of the blaze that is the city's deadliest in at least a quarter of a century.

Nigro said that everyone has been accounted for and stressed the importance of closing doors to help contain fires.

'If unfortunately you do have a fire in your apartment, you must close the door when you exit,' Nigro said. FDNY officials across the city have set-up stands to share fire safety information and their Juvenile Fire-Setters Intervention Program.

Officials say the youngest victim in the fire that destroyed the apartment building near the Bronx Zoo is a one-year-old girl who died in a bathtub being held by her mother, who also perished in the blaze

Nigro said that everyone has been accounted for and stressed the importance of closing doors to help contain fires

According to the New York City Housing Preservation and Development, there building owned by owned by D&A Equities had at least six open building code violations. Pictured above officials inspect the burned out building

Howard Alkoff's D & E Equities purchased the five-story building from the city in 1984 for $31,029, and there is no indication that any construction work has been done at the building since

Ronn Torossian, a spokesperson for the landlord said: 'We are shocked and saddened at the loss of life and injuries which occurred. Our prayers and thoughts are with the families that were affected.'

According to the New York City Housing Preservation and Development, the building owned by D&A Equities had at least six open building code violations.

SOLDIER, 28, STILL MISSING AFTER FIRE Missing: Emmanuel Mensah, 28 US Army soldier Emmanuel Mensah, 28, is missing in the wake of the Bronx fire and his family fear for his safety. The serviceman, who lived in the building, was home on leave for the holidays and was last seen by his roommate. 'He was telling the roommate to not come out of the apartment because there was smoke,' his father told the New York Daily News. But when they rescued everyone from the windows, we couldn't find him. 'I went to four hospitals, I can't find him.' Advertisement

Two violations reported in August 2017 were for a broken smoke detector and for a defective carbon monoxide detector in the same apartment on the first floor. It was not clear if the detector had been fixed or replaced or whether it had played any role in the fire.

Howard Alkoff's D & E Equities purchased the five-story building that was built in 1916 from the city in 1984 for $31,029.

There is no indication that any construction work has been done at the building since, The Real Deal reported. The residential apartment building did not have an elevator and fire escapes were visible on the facade of the building.

'We are shocked and saddened at the loss of life and injuries which occurred,' Ronn Torossian, a spokesperson for the landlord said.

'Our prayers and thoughts are with the families that were affected.

'The landlord is communicating with the City of New York and associated agencies.'

It took an estimated 170 firefighters working in just 15 degrees to rescue people from the building as water sprayed from hoses froze into ice on the street.

De Blasio confirmed that four of the 15 injured are in critical condition and fighting for their lives at a local hospital.

'This is the worst fire tragedy we have seen in this city in at least a quarter century,' de Blasio said, adding that the fire will rank as one of the 'worst losses of life to a fire' in many years for the city.

The mayor said at least 12 people were rescued and will survive thanks to the FDNY's quick response to the scene.

'But the search of the building continues,' the mayor said, adding that 'we may lose others as well' in this 'unspeakable tragedy'.

Photographs and video of the building located at 2363 Prospect Avenue in the Belmont section, showed the fire that occurred just one block from the Bronx Zoo. The blaze appeared to be under control by the time the mayor spoke at 10pm.

About 170 firefighters worked in bone-chilling cold, just 15 degrees, to rescue people from the building. Water sprayed from hoses froze into ice on the street

Emergency workers wheel away a body from the site of an apartment fire where at least a dozen people died

Mayor Bill de Blasio confirmed during a press conference that four of the 15 injured are in critical condition and fighting for their lives at a local hospital

'I want to offer my prayers to all of the families who have lost their loved ones this evening,' de Blasio said.

'I ask all New Yorkers to keep them in your prayers.'

Nigro said that fire crews received the fire alarm at 6.51pm and the department responded within three minutes.

'In a department that is certainly no stranger to tragedy, we are shocked by this loss,' Nigro said.

'People died on various floors' of the apartment building Nigro said, adding that their ages range from one-year-old to over 60.

Nigro called the fire, 'historic in its magnitude,' because of the number of lives lost.

City Department of Buildings records show the building is a walk-up apartment house. City officials advised people in the area to close their windows to keep out the smoke.

Saved: Some of the dozens of people evacuated during the fire shelter from the freezing cold under Red Cross blankets

Police also say an unidentified boy died in the blaze along with two other women aged 19 and 63

FDNY photos show ladders stretched to the roof of the five-story building that's near the Bronx Zoo

'This is the worst fire tragedy we have seen in this city in at least a quarter of a century,' de Blasio said, adding that the fire will rank as one of the 'worst losses of life to a fire' in many years for the city

City Department of Buildings records show the building is a walk-up apartment house. According to city records, the building had no elevator. Fire escapes were visible on the facade of the building

Fire Commissioner Daniel A. Nigro said that crews (pictured) received the fire alarm at 6.51pm and the department responded within three minutes

'In a department that is certainly no stranger to tragedy, we are shocked by this loss,' Nigro said. Nigro confirmed that the fire started on the first floor and quickly spread to the fifth floor of the building

Witness, Xanral Collins, told the New York Post that heard a father screaming for his children at the scene.

'A father ran into the building, he couldn't get in,' said Collins. 'I saw him screaming, 'My babies are dead! My babies are dead!''

Video of the scene showed numerous firefighters wheeling victims out on stretchers. An EMT was seen administering chest compressions to one victim as two other firefighters wheeled them to a rescue unit nearby.

Luz Hernandez, a resident of the building, told the New York Times that she realized something was wrong when the smell of burned rubber filled her apartment on the fourth floor.

She said the smell was followed by smoke so thick that it made the room pitch-black.

Nigro called the fire, 'historic in its magnitude,' because of the number of lives lost. Firefighters are seen working the scene of the tragic fire

Members of the FDNY work at the scene of a five-alarm fire at an apartment building where at least 12 people were tragically killed

She was able to get to her husband and two sons, 11 and 16, to the window, and they climbed down the front fire escape.

Hernandez said once she and her family were safe, she saw the charred bodies of two women who lived together and their two young daughters being carried away on stretchers.

Thierno Diallo, 59, a security guard originally from Conakry, Guinea, said he was asleep in his ground floor apartment when he heard banging on the door.

Diallo said it took him a moment to realize what was happening. He said he heard people screaming: 'There's a fire in the building!' He then ran out in his bathrobe, jacket and sandals.

Video of the scene showed firefighters wheeling out victims of the horrific fire on stretchers (pictured)

An EMT was seen performing chest compressions on one victim as firefighters pushed the stretcher

Firefighters were seen prepping victims of the horrific fire for transport to local hospitals

Neighborhood resident Robert Gonzalez, who has a friend who lives in the building, said the woman was able to get out on a fire escape.

'When I got here, she was crying,' Gonzalez said.

One witness, Rafael Gonzalez, who lives across the street from the building, told WCBS-TV, that he saw some youths on a fire escape of the burning building as the fire raged.

'What woke me up was the smoke, because I thought it was my building,' he said.

A tenant in an adjoining building, Ana Santiago, told the Times that she fled when she smelled the smoke and saw young girls who had escaped the burning building on the fire escape standing barefoot outside with no coats on.

Firefighters were able to rescue several people by climbing up ladders to reach them and bringing them back down to safety

Firefighters continued to search the apartment building late Thursday night and early Friday morning for more victims

Evacuees wear American Red Cross blankets as they stand outside after a fire at the apartment building in the Bronx on Thursday night

The American Red Cross will also provide housing for displaced families from the devastating Bronx fire. Anyone who needs to check on loved ones or relatives who may have been in the building are asked to call 311

City officials said nearby Crotona International High School will be opened as a reception center for those displaced families who may need housing.

The American Red Cross will also provide housing for displaced families.

The 12 confirmed fatalities made the fire the deadliest since the inferno at the Happy Land social club in 1990 that killed 87 people.

It also surpassed one of the deadliest fires in recent city memory that happened elsewhere in the Bronx in 2007. Nine children and one adult died in that blaze that was sparked by a space heater.

Anyone who needs to check on loved ones or relatives who may have been in the building are asked to call 311.