Fire in built environment

Fire claimed the lives of two small children in Newark overnight, officials confirmed on Sunday.The call came in around midnight for a fire on Eckert Avenue.Newark Mayor Ras Baraka consoled what appeared to be a visibly shaken firefighter as other firefighters arrived and surrounded him for comfort.A man who lives in the house told Eyewitness News a birthday party was held at the building on Saturday.He said he decided to leave beforehand because he didn't want to deal with the noise.He also said he had complained to the landlord about code violations - including too many people living in the building.That same tenant says families had furniture in the hallway and that more furniture had been moved there before the birthday party.As of Sunday morning, we did not know how many people were rescued from the fire or the extent of their injuries.
The cause of the fire remained under investigation.