Washington, Aug 19 (DPA) Two New York City firemen were killed battling a blaze in a Lower Manhattan building that was damaged nearly six years ago in the Sep 11 attacks.
The fire was reported Saturday afternoon in the vacant former Deutsche Bank building, which adjoins the so-called Ground Zero site where the Twin Towers of the World Trade Centre were destroyed by suicide terrorists.
Footage from the scene showed smoke billowing from the top of the structure, which is covered by scaffolding and was being dismantled. The blaze was out and the building declared safe from collapse by late Saturday, Mayor Michael Bloomberg said.
Television news broadcaster NY1 reported that hundreds of firemen from across the city helped in the effort.
Two firemen became trapped in the blaze and died at a nearby hospital. They were members of a ladder company that also lost members in the 9/11 attacks.
NY1 reported that the seven-alarm fire began on the 20th storey and spread to several floors. The 14 top floors of the once 40-storey office building had already been removed before the fire as demolition work was continuing.
The cause of the blaze was not immediately known, but an electrical problem was suspected.
The death toll on Sep 11 included 343 of the New York firemen and paramedics, many of whom had rushed into the blazing towers. In all, nearly 2,700 people were killed in the World Trade Centre after hijacked airliners struck it.
Several surrounding buildings including the former Deutsche Bank headquarters were damaged beyond repair by the falling rubble of the towers and either collapsed or have been demolished in the years since the attacks.