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QUEENS — MTA police officers raced from their posts at the Queens Midtown Tunnel to help evacuate a burning Long Island City apartment building Wednesday morning as firefighters battled the blaze that left nine first responders injured, officials said.
MTA officers were preparing a security checkpoint at the Queens Midtown Tunnel entrance when they spotted smoke billowing from nearby 10-39 51st Ave. about 6:30 a.m. and eight of them raced over, the MTA and FDNY said.
“We saw heavy flames and smoke as we approached and we started knocking on doors and kicking doors to get people out,” Sgt. Kris Owens said in a statement.
Sgt. Paul Leggio kicked in the front door of the burning building and the seven other transit police rushed in to bring everyone out, the MTA said.
“Everybody seemed to be sleeping and disoriented and some people came out in their nightclothes. Within a few minutes we had the building cleared. We got everybody out safely,” Owens added.
They then helped evacuate neighboring apartment buildings, the MTA said.
More than 100 firefighters helped bring the blaze under control by about 7:30 a.m., the FDNY said.
Two firefighters were seriously hurt but taken to New York Hospital in stable condition, the FDNY said.
MTA officers Joseph Vasquez and Ronald Linck were cut, bruised and suffered smoke inhalation, the MTA said. They were treated Bellevue hospital, the FDNY said.
Five other firefighters were treated for minor injuries at Elmhurst Hospital, the FDNY said.
