Credit: Xinhua/Sipa USA
U.S.-NEW YORK-RESIDENTIAL BUILDING-FIRE
New York (77WABC) – A massive fire in Elmhurst, Queens yesterday that left 44 people displaced may have been part of an elaborate suicide attempt only seen in the movies.
The NYPD identified the victim as 26-year-old Anesti Bulgaretsi who lived in the 73-01 41 Avenue apartment building, after he was found with multiple stab wounds to his body which police say may have been self inflicted.
Police received 911 calls after tenants reported a loud boom followed by smoke and flames on the top floor of the building just before 10:30 a.m. on Tuesday. It was originally reported that the fire was meant to cover up Bulgaretsi’s possible murder before the cause of death changed.
According to the New York Post, Bulgaretsi had been out of work for two months and was contemplating returning to his home country of Greece, and was suffering from depression, chronic headaches and vertigo.
The massive fire took nearly 140 firefighters to fight the flames, injuring four of them.