The fire broke
out on the east side of the 100-story building in mid-afternoon
and was quickly extinguished by responding firefighters,
according to tweets by the Chicago Fire Department.
The fire began in a bedroom and spread through the rest of the
apartment, gutting it, the department said. The cause of the
fire, confined to the one apartment, is under investigation but
was determined to be accidental.
Five people suffered smoke inhalation or other minor injuries
and were in good or stable condition, the department said.
Several ambulances responded to the scene.
The fire department posted pictures of the flames coming from
the building as smoke obscured views of the upper floors.
The Hancock building, a landmark in downtown Chicago, has
condominiums on most of the upper half floors and an observatory
popular with tourists for its sweeping views of the city and
Lake Michigan.
(Reporting by Kevin Murphy in Kansas City; Editing by Scott
Malone and Sandra Maler)
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