NEW YORK -- A fire ripped through a house in Brooklyn early Saturday, killing seven children believed to be from the same family, officials said.
A woman, apparently the mother of at least some of the children, as well as another teenager, were taken to a hospital after both jumped from a window. Both are reportedly in critical condition.
The blaze was started by a hot plate that had been left on to keep food warm, according to New York City Fire Department Commissioner Daniel Nigro. "A malfunction occurred and a fire started in the kitchen," he said at a Saturday morning press conference.
The house is in the Midwood section of Brooklyn, home to many Orthodox Jews. Some Orthodox Jews turn on a hot plate before the start of the Sabbath, and keep it running because they are forbidden from starting it during the holiday, which runs from Friday night to Saturday night.
The children who were killed ranged in age from 5 to 15 years old.
"It's a tragedy for this family, it's a tragedy for this community, it's a tragedy for our city," Nigro said.
More than 100 firefighters battled the blaze, and brought it under control at around 1:30 a.m ET, about an hour after it was reported.
It was the highest death toll from a fire in the city since March 2007, when nine children and an adult were killed in a fire in the Bronx.
Additional reporting by The Associated Press