Man live tweets New York apartment fire escape

A New York City father began posting harrowing tweets online revealing how his high rise apartment building was burning below him - trapping him and his family inside.

Updating his Twitter account from the 26th floor of his Midtown apartment, scientist Gurinder Singh 'Mickey' Atwal tweeted that he was unable to escape with his wife and two-year-old son because the stairwells were blanketed with thick smoke.

As the fire raged, over 200 firefighters rushed to the 42-storey building at 500 West 43 Street in Manhattan to fight the blaze.

Atwal then revealed that he and his family had sought refuge on their balcony away from the smoke.

Eventually however, firefighters made it to Atwal after battling to reach them and others stranded by the fire which began on the 20th floor and escorted him and his family to safety.

FDNY spokesman Danny Glover revealed that the fire broke out shortly after 11 am and that three people have so far been injured - two critically.

According to Glover, the two injured are both male and were transported to nearby hospitals.

"The main body of fire's been knocked down but there's still smoke conditions inside the building," said Danny Glover, a fire department spokesman.

An official said that some residents who live on upper floors of the building had not been able to get out as of midday - however no one was dangerously trapped.

Drivers were being advised to avoid the area, as streets have been blocked off.
According to his Twitter account, Atwal is English and works as a theoretical physicist and biologist at the Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory.

Dr Atwal is a scientist and assistant professor at Cold spring Harbor Laboratory on New York's Long Island.

Specializing in genetics and cancer studies, Dr Atwal was awarded his PhD from Ivy League Cornell Universtiy.

- Daily Mail