A two-alarm fire on Manhattan's Upper East Side left 19 people injured early Saturday morning after the building's alarms failed to go off, authorities said.
The fire began around 3:45 a.m. on the 12th floor of a high-rise building on Second Avenue and 92nd Street and was contained to one apartment, fire officials said.
The building's centralized alarm system did not detect the fire and a security guard in the building's lobby had to be alerted about the fire by a passerby, authorities said
It took more than 100 firefighters more than two hours to get the fire under control. While the flames were contained to one apartment, smoke quickly traveled through the hallways and vents of the 40-story tower.
"I didn't even know there was a fire. There was just black all over the floor," said building resident Tom McNulty. "I grabbed my friends and yelled to my partner 'we gotta get out!'"
Ten residents suffered smoke inhalation, and several had to be treated at a nearby hospital. Three firefighters also suffered smoke inhalation and six firefighters were treated for burns on their legs.
The cause of the fire remains unknown. An investigation is ongoing.
