New Jersey apartment fire claims life of child, injures 15 others

A fire at an apartment complex in New Jersey resulted in the death of a child, according to police. At least 15 people were injured, most of them first responders.

The incident was reported to police at around 3 p.m. on Thursday at an apartment complex located at 860 Lower Ferry Rd. in Ewing Township, New Jersey, according to the Ewing Police Department. The fire originated on the fourth floor of the building.

First responders were alerted to a possible child trapped on the floor where the fire started, police said. Firefighters found an unresponsive 6-year-old who was transported to a hospital, where he succumbed to his injuries.

The child has been identified as Jayden Gotell-Watkins from Baldwinsville, New York. He was visiting relatives in Ewing at the time of the incident. “He was a good kid, very funny kid. He was smart,” Jayden’s great-grandmother Dorothy Smith told WCAU.

Fifteen other people were transported to area hospitals, including 11 police officers, a firefighter, and three residents of the complex. Their injuries ranged from minor burns to smoke inhalation and exhaustion. All police officers have since been released, while the status of the residents and the firefighter remains unknown.

The cause of the fire is currently unknown but is not considered “suspicious,” according to WCAU.