Child dead, 3 injured in extra-alarm blaze in South Chicago

Firefighters battled an extra-alarm blaze early Tuesday at a three-story apartment building in South Chicago. | Chicago Fire Department

 

(CHICAGO) A child has died and three other people were injured after an extra-alarm blaze early Tuesday in a South Chicago neighborhood apartment building.

Firefighters responded about 1:40 a.m. to the blaze in the three-story courtyard apartment building in the 8100 block of South Essex, according to Chicago Police and the Chicago Fire Department.

Fire officials reported heavy fire on the second and third floors of the building.

The child was taken to Comer Children’s Hospital, where he or she was pronounced dead, authorities said. The Cook County medical examiner’s office confirmed the fatality, but did not release additional information Tuesday morning.

One man was taken in serious-to-critical condition to Christ Medical Center in Oak Lawn, two other people were taken to South Shore Hospital, one in fair-to-serious condition and the other in good condition, fire officials said.

As of 3:47 a.m., crews were still working to put the fire out with three master streams directed at the building.