2 dead in nighttime fire in apartment building in Worcester

Two people died overnight after a fire caused major damage to an apartment building in Massachusetts. Members of the Worcester Fire Department were dispatched to 3 Hancock Street around 11:30 p.m., city officials said. The fire was put on a second alarm when crews requested additional personnel. “Upon arrival, the first arriving fire department found a heavy fire on the ground floor with conditions deteriorating. Crews quickly entered the ground floor and simultaneously began extinguishing operations and an initial search of the building,” city officials said in a statement. During the search, firefighters found two residents on the ground floor. They were extracted by firefighters and taken to hospitals by Worcester EMS, but did not survive. Two firefighters were also taken to a local hospital for evaluation. Four adults and three children were left homeless as a result of the incident, the city said. The cause of the fire remains under investigation.