New York Fire Breaks Out at Aluminum Recycling Plant Under-Construction Building; 7 Injured as Investigation Continues

On Monday, a fire broke out within a high-rise hotel being built only feet from News Company's offices in Midtown Manhattan, injuring seven people.

The fire broke out on the 10th level of the 49-story structure at 145 West 47th Street, only a few streets from Rockefeller Center, shortly after 10:20 a.m. The new Hotel Riu Manhattan Plaza Times Square was to be housed in the under-construction structure.

New York firefighters battle against flames at a Manhattan high-rise

According to a representative for the New York Fire Department, 78 firemen were dispatched to the scene and spent over an hour battling the flames before bringing the fire under control.

The seven persons injured in the fire were all civilians, according to the FDNY. Five of the patients needed to be sent to the hospital while the other two were treated by paramedics at the scene of the incident.

The destroyed structure is just steps away from Times Square and around the corner of the News Corporation skyscraper, Daily Mail reported. Photos and videos of the incident showed thick black smoke billowing over the Manhattan skyline as pillars of thick black smoke rose from the high-rise. At this moment, the cause of the fire is being investigated.

According to the hotel's website, the under-construction building will house the new premium Hotel Riu Manhattan Plaza Times Square, which is expected to open by the end of the year. Following the incident, the hotel has not issued any statement.

Per METRO, thick black smoke billowed from the building onto a grey Manhattan cityscape in photos and video taken at the incident. Firetrucks were also seen obstructing a large portion of Sixth Avenue.

Cat allerts residents to apartment fire in Syracuse

WCBS880 traffic reporter Jim Feldman rushed to Twitter to provide updates on the hazy situation, stating that multiple lanes were stopped as a result of the event.

The flames poured out of the hotel's windows, and smoke filled the air, according to video from the site. At this moment, the conditions of individuals who were injured remain unclear. The fire's cause is still being investigated.

Meanwhile, three residents of an apartment fire in upstate New York may have escaped due to a cat. A fire broke out on the first floor of a building in Syracuse on Saturday morning as residents were sleeping. Fire authorities claimed a cat inside the house woke them up and everyone was able to escape, as per Syracuse.com.

Firefighters came in approximately 20 minutes and were able to put out the fire. The fire was contained to the first level of the structure, but officials said the second story had to be evacuated as well. The fire has forced all of the building's occupants to flee. Disaster relief teams from the Red Cross have been dispatched to the scene.