A 3-year-old child has died following a 3-alarm fire at an apartment building in Lowell, Massachusetts, Friday morning.
Firefighters responded around 6:30 a.m. to the blaze on Parker Street. Officials say firefighters couldn't get access to the building right away due to the heavy fire, and one fire hydrant also froze.
The child, identified by The Office of the Medical Examiner as Hunter Knox, was found in a back bedroom. Crews tried to resuscitate him and transported him to a hospital, where he later died, according to DA Marian Ryan.
Two other residents, a child and a man, were also hospitalized, and are believed to be family members of the deceased child. The child in the hospital is believed to be an 8-year-old boy.
Two firefighters were also injured. One was taken to a hospital for smoke inhalation and another had minor injuries and wasn't transported.
"Our thoughts and prayers are with the family of the victims of this terrible tragedy," Lowell Fire Chief Jeff Winward said.
Officials say three families, totaling 11 people, including Hunter Knox, were living in the building when the fire broke out. All tenants have been accounted for, officials added.
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A neighbor said the sound of a screaming child alerted him to the tragedy.
"I just heard a kid screaming out here earlier this morning. Running around outside, I came out to see what was going on. I ran back inside to grab my phone to call, by the time I came back out, the police were already rolling up to the scene here," Scott Chouinard said.
Part of Manchester Street is blocked as emergency crews and investigators respond to the scene, and is expected to stay closed for some time.
The cause of the fire is under investigation.
