fire

10-Year-Old Boy Killed, 11 Injured in Northwest Side Fire

The fire broke out in a Hollywood Park apartment building shortly after 3 a.m. Sunday morning

A 10-year-old boy was killed and 11 others hospitalized after an extra-alarm fire early Sunday at a Northwest Side Hollywood Park apartment building.

The fire started shortly after 3 a.m. in a four-story apartment building on the 5700 block of North Kimball Avenue.

The blaze was extinguished by 4:45 a.m., though firefighters remained at the scene Sunday morning searching the building and chasing hot spots, according to Fire Media.

A 10-year-old boy, identified Monday as Hans Khan, was found dead on the fourth floor. Five other children and six adults were taken to the hospital for various injuries, including lacerations and broken legs.

Several people jumped to safety and were helped by good Samaritans nearby.

"It's most traumatic for all of us," Deputy Chief Anthony Vasquez said. "It makes it difficult for us to go home and look at our children."

Firefighters will begin handing out smoke detectors in the neighborhood at 10 a.m.

"It's important that the public knows, you have to take care of yourselves and your family, check your smoke detectors, change your batteries, have an exit strategy," Vasquez said.

The cause of the fire is still under investigation.

Copyright CHIST - SunTimes
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