NEW YORK: A man was killed and six fire-fighters were injured when a fire broke out at Trump Tower on Saturday, the New York City’s fire department said.

The fire at the original abode of President Donald Trump spread quickly because the floor in question did not have a sprinkler system, according to some media reports.

The person who died was a resident of the building’s 50th floor and was taken to hospital in a critical condition, fire department’s spokeswoman Angelica Conroy told reporters.

No member of the president’s family was in the building

The victim was a 67-year-old man who was unconscious and unresponsive when fire-fighters pulled him out, the police department said, adding that the medical examiner’s office would determine the cause of his death.

The fire was contained to the 50th floor of the building, which is located on the Fifth Avenue in New York. It was brought under control at around 9pm, about two hours after it was reported.

No member of the Trump family was in the building when the fire broke out, according to news reports.

Before the elderly man’s death was reported, Presi­dent Trump tweeted that the fire was out and “very confined” in the “well-built building” and congratulated the fire-fighters.

According to the Forbes magazine, before Mr Trump became president the Trump Tower was his main home. The house is estimated to be spread over more than 10,000 square feet.

Mr Trump’s penthouse is on floors 66th through 68th, meaning the fire occurred more than 10 floors below his original home.

While in the building, crews checked on Mr Trump’s home, which was unharmed, an official said.

Smoke had spread throughout much of the building but it was unclear if any had seeped into Trump’s penthouse.

People outside Trump Tower took photos and videos of the blaze as it grew, with flames and smoke billowing from several windows. Some footage showed debris falling hundreds of feet onto the street.

Published in Dawn, April 9th, 2018