Five people are dead, including three children, following a fast-moving four-alarm fire in Queens Village on Sunday afternoon, according to the city police department.
The blaze, which started at a house on 208 St. near 112th Ave, was under control by 4:25 p.m.
The fire spread from the two-story house to another home, the FDNY said.
Police sources told NY1 that the people who died in the fire were ages two, nine, 14, 20, and the age of the fifth victim is not known at this time.
Mayor Bill de Blasio said Sunday's blaze resulted in the biggest loss of life from a fire in the city since seven children from the Sassoon family were killed in a Midwood fire March 21, 2015.
There is no confirmation yet on what started the fire, which is under investigation.
The fire department said it received a 911 call on the fire at 2:36 PM.
A driver who passed by the home said he called 911 and saw flames on the first and second floor of the house.
That driver reported seeing a man tumble out of a second floor window before flames engulfed the house.
A man who lived in the building's basement described the moment when flames broke out. "I smelled smoke and I alerted my neighbor to see if he was burning something. He said no. Then he went and opened the top door, and the smoke came out and like pushed us out the door," the man said.
"It was a big gust of smoke," the witness described. "When I looked back, I saw it ripping through the front — the first floor."
Officials said some of the victims were in the attic of the house, and could not be saved in time.
Neighbors told NY1 there was no opportunity to go into the house to help the victims. One woman said the best she could do was move away a car that was in the driveway, running with the keys in ignition, to prevent further damage.
Another witness said he thought he heard what sounded like three explosions, but that has not been confirmed.
Photos courtesy @FDNY on Twitter.