A Bronx apartment complex where 17 people were killed in a horrific fire last month was rife with safety violations that contributed to their deaths, according to new lawsuits seeking damages from the building owners.
Eight children were among the victims who perished Jan. 9 when an electric space heater set off the blaze in a tower along E. 181st St. near Tiebout Ave., filling hallways and stairwells with thick, suffocating smoke.
But some, if not all of the deaths, could likely have been prevented if the high-rise’s owners had addressed known safety issues, including malfunctioning doors that should have closed automatically and windows that did not open, the suits argue.
