40 migrants found sleeping in New York City basement after e-bike battery tip
New York City fire prevention inspectors checking a tip about a collection of e-bike batteries posing a potential hazard discovered 40 migrants sleeping in a Queens basement behind a furniture store, according to three city officials and the landlord.
New York City fire prevention inspectors checking a tip about a collection of e-bike batteries posing a potential hazard discovered 40 migrants sleeping in a Queens basement behind a furniture store, according to three city officials and the landlord.
When they entered to investigate the reported fire risk at the South Richmond Hill home on Liberty Avenue, inspectors were surprised to find the migrants in cramped conditions, the officials said.
Further investigation revealed that 74 people had been living in the basement, reportedly sleeping in shifts to accommodate everyone, the landlord told NBC New York.
According to the Department of Buildings, when inspectors arrived, they “found that the first floor commercial space in the building and the cellar had been illegally converted into sleeping quarters, with 14 bunk beds and 13 bed tightly packed on both floors.” In addition, inspectors found that plumbing work was done without permits and that there was no means of exiting, ventilation or natural sunlight for the migrants living there.
Officials said the fire department issued a full vacate order for the premises. The Department of Buildings also issued a vacate order because of unsafe conditions found at the basement, including overcrowding and fire hazards identified by the fire department. The city’s Office of Emergency Management referred people in need of shelter for further assistance.
Rating: 5