2 dead in apartment building fire in Passaic, N.J., officials say

2 dead in apartment building fire in Passaic, N.J., officials say

PASSAIC, N.J. -- Two people were killed and multiple families were forced out of their homes Sunday, after a fire tore through an apartment complex.

CBS New York has learned the two people who died were a married couple in their 70s.

Video shows the aftermath on Spruce Street in Passaic, where the flames erupted at around 10 a.m.

A resident told CBS New York she got home and saw smoke and then tried to help his neighbors.

"I'm banging on peoples' doors and windows and I'm trying to get them to come out. Then I heard 'poof' and I knew it was over," Jade Kessel said. "The smoke alarms went off, but they couldn't move fast enough."

The Red Cross said it is assisting eight families with housing and food.

The investigation is ongoing.

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