Two men pulled from a burning apartment building in Wilkes-Barre have died at the hospital, according to investigators.
As more and more smoke billowed from a four-unit apartment building on Pine Street, frantic neighbors called for help.
“In the beginning, it was just all black smoke and then the front started getting black smoke and I just called 911 and that was it,” said Ed Loucks.
“I saw as soon as I came out, the whole house was just up in flames, totally up in flames,” said Brian Meekers.
Others said they rushed to the burning building to help the people inside.
“He seen smoke and me and Uncle John ran out and Uncle John ran in with Billy and Billy's banging on doors and they ran in and pulled people out,” said one neighbor who described her family members helping to rescue the tenants. “We just couldn't get to the other two people inside.”
Fire crews arrived and they were able to pull those two people outside.
“Found heavy fire coming from the building, subsequently went inside, rescued two people,” said Wilkes-Barre Fire Chief Jay Delaney. “They were administered care by the Wilkes-Barre Fire Department and transported to Wilkes-Barre General Hospital.”
“They were doing CPR on the guy they were bringing down from the second floor,” said Loucks.
“They got them out and the one guy they resuscitated him,” said Meeker. “I don`t know how he's doing. I hope he's alright, though.”
A state police fire marshal on scene confirms the two taken to the hospital died a short time later.
The son of the owner of the building says eight people lived in the building and the two who died are both men, who were staying in an apartment unit there.
One of the Luzerne County coroners says the two men were pronounced dead at the hospital around 5:30 p.m.
Now the coroner’s office is trying to identify the two victims.
The Red Cross says it is helping the other tenants who are without a place to stay.
The cause of the fire is under investigation.
