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At least 19 people, including nine children, have died after a fire in a New York apartment building, BBC News reports.

Another 32 people were sent to hospital, several of whom are in a critical condition, according to New York Mayor Eric Adams.

Fire department Commissioner Daniel Nigro said they had found victims on every floor of the 19-storey block, saying the smoke was "unprecedented".

He told NBC News the death toll was the worst seen in New York for 30 years.

It comes days after an apartment fire in Philadelphia killed 12, with eight children among the dead.

Sunday's fire broke out in an apartment that spans the second and third floors of the Bronx apartment block at about 11:00 local time (16:00 GMT), officials said.

Some 200 firefighters were sent to tackle the blaze, which officials believe was sparked by a malfunctioning electric heater.

New York Governor Kathy Hochul called Sunday's events "a night of tragedy", and pledged to create a victims' compensation fund to support survivors.