A devastating fire in a three-story building killed eight children and seriously injured six other people in one of New York City's deadliest blazes in recent memory, authorities said. Fire Department spokesman Seth Andrews confirmed the death toll early Thursday, and said he did not know whether any of the survivors were children. According to the Associated Press, the cause of the fire, in the city's Bronx borough, was not immediately known. The fire was reported shortly after 11 p.m. Wednesday. It burned in the building's basement and first floor, Andrews said. The injured, five children and one adult, were taken to Lincoln Medical and Mental Health Center, hospital spokeswoman Jill Brookner said. She said their conditions were unavailable early Thursday, but two were to be taken to a burn unit for further treatment. Firefighters had the blaze under control shortly after 1 a.m. Thursday, Andrews said. -- SPA
