Brooklyn Apartment Complex Goes Dark; Elevator Rescues Reported

EAST NEW YORK, BROOKLYN — Power has been restored to a massive East New York apartment complex where an outage early Sunday left thousands of residents in the dark and left some in need of being rescued out of elevators. It happened around 5 a.m. Sunday at the Spring Creek Towers apartments on Van Siclen Avenue, which reportedly houses about 15,000 people.

Deputy Chief Michael Ajello said told the Daily News that firefighters rescued at least six people from faulty elevators.

"The sheer size of the complex, the number of buildings, the amount of elevators, over 100 — it's a difficult task and staffing intensive task,” he told the news outlet.

Fire officials told media outlets the death was probably unrelated to the power outage.

WABC-TV reported that the complex has its own power plant separate from Con Edison. Power plant workers are trying to figure out what was behind the outage.

The FDNY is investigating the death. That resident was reportedly using an oxygen tank.

UPDATE. @FDNY reports it rescued a handful of people from elevators at Spring Creek Towers. Power outage at former Starrett City was called in at 5a. One died, but officials say victim likely dead before power went out. Complex has its own power plant. @wcbs880 pic.twitter.com/ISXlXrbTUk
— Peter Haskell (@peterhaskell880) July 29, 2018

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