A faulty, out-of-date tower ladder carrying massive amounts of water to an inferno on Staten Island broke down at a critical moment Thursday as 200 firefighters were battling the blaze that engulfed three town houses and injured 34 people, sources told The Post.
Just as rescue workers began knocking down the flames in the first two buildings, they were forced to sidetrack their operation for 20 minutes to replace a massive, decade-old ladder that should have been replaced after 10 years, according to the city’s Safety Standards Provision.
The fire was so severe that two young children were tossed out of a second-floor window.