Child Dies, Three Injured in Mo. Fire

KANSAS CITY, Mo. --

One child died and three others were critically injured at an apartment fire near Independence and Prospect avenues at 11:15 a.m. Monday.

Fire officials said two adults and two children were taken to area hospitals in critical condition. The child died at the hospital. Fire officials said the injuries included smoke inhalation and burns.

Kansas City Fire Chief Smoky Dyer said that when crews arrived on the scene they heard adults screaming that people were trapped in the fire. He said crews used an aggressive tact to knock down the fire and then firefighters performed a search and rescue.

It is unknown if the adults and children are related.

Fire officials said the blaze began in a single apartment where neighbors said a man and a woman and two children had just moved in.

"During the search operation, the fire spread to the second apartment but firefighters were able to stop that," Dyer said. "It did break through the ceiling."

A customer across from the apartments said he heard a man screaming and ran toward the smoke.

"It was the husband, and he said my kids are inside," Muhammad Lmubardi said.

Lmubardi said he went in and saw the woman and the infant. He said he helped get the woman out and then the baby.

"Somebody handed me the baby and said, 'do you know CPR?'" Samantha Romero. "When the firefighter showed up, I handed him the baby and said the baby wasn't breathing."

A second child was located in the apartment. Relatives at the site said it was the older child -- 3 years old -- who didn't survive.

Both adults were taken to Truman Medical Center in serious condition at last check. And the child, whom is believed to be under 1 year old, is in critical condition.

Fire investigators are still determining a cause.

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