Residents trapped in burning Manhattan high-rise; Man tweets from inside [pics, video]

It’s indeed a nightmarish scene on the West Side of Manhattan, where a fire is raging in a high-rise apartment building:

Manhattan Fire
– 500 W 43rd Street
– 3-alarm
– injuries reported
– 130+ firefighters
– fire on 20th floor#NYC #NYFD pic.twitter.com/nwyjCxssGG

— newsbell (@newsbell) January 5, 2014

U/D Manhattan: *3 Alarm Fire* Box 798 At 500 West 43 St Heavy fire on the 20 floor of a 35 story multiple dwelling pic.twitter.com/oXwuYfptHG

— NYC Scanner (@NYScanner) January 5, 2014

NOW: Eyewitness video of high-rise fire burning on Manhattan’s West Side #NYC http://t.co/4iByXf8Gtb @NewsOnTheMin pic.twitter.com/ovdOKYlUAe

— NewsBreaker (@NewsBreaker) January 5, 2014

http://instagram.com/p/iy2AwPvFH9/

https://twitter.com/NYCityAlerts/status/419877611519868928

https://twitter.com/911__ICE/status/419878734460489728

Resident Mickey Atwal appears to be tweeting from inside the burning building:

https://twitter.com/MickeyAtwal/status/419865701289959424

https://twitter.com/MickeyAtwal/status/419867479767531520

Firemen here in our hallway. Telling us to stay put. Looks like fire started a few floors below. Family safe and in good spirits

— Mickey Atwal (@MickeyAtwal) January 5, 2014

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We pray for his and everyone’s safety.

https://twitter.com/JAMIEGotDatBOMB/status/419880025228603392

Lord be a saving grace! Hope that family and others got out of that Manhattan building safely!

— Kris Brooks (@thekrisbliss) January 5, 2014

(Hat tip: @einfal)

Editor’s note: This post has been updated with additional tweets.

***

Update:

One stairwell now safe to walk down. Thanks for all your support.

— Mickey Atwal (@MickeyAtwal) January 5, 2014