Pope Francis issued condolences to families of those killed in an apartment building blaze in the Bronx, New York, USA, that killed 19 people, including nine children.

In a January 10 telegram to Cardinal Timothy M. Dolan of New York, the Archdiocese where the apartment building is located, Vatican Secretary of State Cardinal Pietro Parolin said: “His Holiness Pope Francis was saddened to learn of the recent devastating fire in the Bronx in which a number of children lost their lives.”

“In offering heartfelt condolences and the assurance of his spiritual closeness to those affected by this tragedy, he entrusts the victims and their families to the merciful love of almighty God and invokes upon all consolation and strength in the Lord,” the telegram said.

Cardinal Dolan tweeted: “It doesn’t get worse than what we witnessed in New York yesterday at that tragic fire in the Bronx. I’m visiting the scene with the fire companies that responded so that I might see how the church can assist. Thank God for the @FDNY.”

New York City Fire Commissioner Dan Nigro said a malfunctioning electric space heater caused the Bronx apartment fire that killed 19 people, including nine children, and injured dozens of others on Sunday, 09 January.

Many of the residents who died or who were taken to hospitals were likely to have been affected by smoke, he said. "I think some of them could not escape because of the volume of smoke," he said.

About 200 firefighters responded to the blaze on East 181st Street, the fire department said.