PHOTOS: A five-alarm fire in Elizabeth left two young girls dead and two adults hospitalized in critical condition Monday, a city official said.
The children who died were approximately 7 and 11 years old, according to city spokeswoman Kelly Martins.
The blaze began around 6 p.m. in the 800 block of Elizabeth Avenue and was under control about two hours later. Police officers rushed to rescue the children, but were impeded by bars on a window of the building. The two adults - a man and a woman - were taken to an area hospital, the spokeswoman said. At least 21 residents were displaced from their homes by the inferno.
Authorities were working to determine what caused the fire. The fire raged through a building that includes commercial space and apartments.