A 101-year-old New Jersey man has died after a fire tore through the Inman Grove Manor senior housing complex in Edison on Tuesday night.
The victim was identified as Kuo-Chun Chen, who shared an apartment at the complex with his wife, according to ABC 7. The blaze reportedly began in their bedroom and traveled through an open window to the unit above.
Chen and his wife were removed from their apartment by first responders. She was airlifted to Beth Israel Hospital, where she remained in critical condition on Thursday. Chen reportedly died Wednesday after going into cardiac arrest.
During their rescue efforts, nearly 100 firefighters and police officers cleared the housing facility’s units, often requiring one-on-one removals. More than 100 residents were brought to safety, the majority of whom were at least 85 years old, according to ABC 7. Eight people were said to have been treated for smoke inhalation.
“This could have been a lot worse but I’m thankful,” Edison Mayor Sam Joshi said. “Our crews did an outstanding and an excellent job.”
The mayor’s office said at least 185 of the 240 evacuated units had been deemed safe by Thursday, according to Tap Into Edison.
What started the four-alarm fire was not immediately clear.