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Three Children Left Alone During Fire; Baby Dies
By
Jen Chung
Published Jun 8, 2007
Modified Mar 7, 2008
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By
Jen Chung
Published Jun 8, 2007
Modified Mar 7, 2008
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Last night, a fire broke out in a second-floor East New York apartment where three children seemed to be left alone. A first-floor neighbor, Tommy Campbell, managed to rescue a 2-year-old and 5-year-old, but couldn't get to 10-month-old Melanie Webb, who died of smoke inhalation.
Campbell told the Post that the 5-year-old had knocked on his door for help. Campbell said he tried twice to get the baby, "I probably was no more than 10 feet away from her. The room was full of thick smoke. It was like walking into a gas chamber." He added to WABC 7, "I've got to live with this for the rest of my life now. I got to live with that little girl now."
The two other children were taken to a hospital for smoke inhalation. The children's mother, Althea Webb, is believed to have left the children at home while she went to get food; the children's father was at work.
And this morning, a fire broke out in a Clinton Hill building at Willoughy and Nostrand, injuring 7 people including 2 children. The fire was put out quickly.
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Jen Chung
Jen Chung is a former WNYC and Gothamist editor.
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Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
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