2 children, 1 adult dead after highrise apartment building fire in Hamilton

Two children and one adult are dead following a multiple-alarm fire at a highrise apartment building near Hamilton's waterfront on Sunday morning.

Crews attended Pier Towers Apartments at 35 Brock St., located near Eastwood Park, at 10:16 a.m. for reports of a structure fire, Hamilton Fire Chief David Cunliffe told reporters on Sunday.

Firefighters arrived to find heavy smoke and flames that were visible from the building, Cunliffe said in a news release.

It was also reported that there were possibly two children still in the apartment.

When firefighters got to the first floor of the building, they were met with "extreme heat, extreme smoke, extreme flame," Cunliffe said.

More than 60 firefighters were at the scene once the alarm was upgraded to third grade, according to the release.

"As firefighters raced in to initiate search and rescue operations, they were met with heavy smoke in the stairwell, along with numerous people trying to evacuate," Cunliffe said.

Firefighters made multiple rescues and assisted numerous people out of the stairwell and hallways, but unfortunately two children and one adult died as a result of the fire, he said.

"Our thoughts and prayers are with those who have been impacted," the chief said.

The names of the victims have not been released.

Victims were 1 and 3 years old, grandfather says 

Abakar Malloum Boukar said his two grandchildren, who were one and three years old, died in Sunday's fire. They lived in the building with his daughter.

"It's very painful for all the family and the community," he said.

Malloum Boukar was visiting Hamilton from Toronto on Sunday when a friend called him about the fire, so he rushed over to the building, located in the city's north end.

A few minutes into the interview with CBC News, he broke down in tears and was unable to talk about finding out that his grandchildren were dead.

Ken Greenly, who lives in the building with his wife and dog, said they attempted to get out of their 18th-floor unit but were met with heavy smoke in the hallway.

"You couldn't go down the hallway, you couldn't go anywhere, really," he said.

They decided to put towels under the door to prevent smoke from getting inside and went on their balcony while waiting for firefighters to come through the building.

"Everyone was screaming out on the balcony and told us, 'Get out of the apartment, get out of the apartment.' Well, it's too late. we couldn't get out of the apartment," he said.

Greenly said both he and his wife have decided to stay put until the building's elevator is back up and running because they're seniors and have mobility issues.

"All we can do is hunker down, try to be safe," he said.

The Red Cross is assisting tenants who have been displaced by the fire. The Office of the Fire Marshal has been notified due to the fire's severity and casualties, Cunliffe said.

The cause of the blaze is currently under investigation, and it is unclear how extensive the damage was to the building, he said. 

13 people taken to hospital

Dave Thompson, superintendent with the Hamilton Paramedic Service, said there were 20 units on scene at the peak of the incident.

Paramedics transported 13 people to hospital — eight in stable condition, four in serious condition, and one person who did not have vital signs, he said.

Out of the 13 patients, the youngest is a one-month-old and the oldest is 77, Thompson said, adding that paramedics assessed another four people at the scene who refused to be taken to hospital.

Hamilton Mayor Andrea Horwath said in a social media post on Sunday that she was "grateful for the bravery of our first responders," and expressed condolences to those impacted.

"Absolutely devastating news," she said in a post to X, formerly Twitter. "My heart goes out to the victims' families."

Coun. Cameron Kroetsch, who represents Ward 2, where the building is located, also shared his condolences in a post to X.

"This is devastating for the community, the families of those who perished in the fire, neighbours, and the fire fighters who engaged in rescue efforts," he said. "My office will be available to any who need our help."

Burlington Street was closed for a few hours on Sunday between Hughson Street and Catherine Street as emergency services personnel responded to the fire. The road has since reopened.