Landlord killed when fire breaks out in basement of building in Queens

OZONE PARK, Queens (WABC) -- A man was killed in a fire that broke out early Sunday in a Queens home.

The fire broke out in the basement of the multi-family home on 97th Avenue in Ozone Park.

That's where firefighters discovered the body of 68-year-old Mohinvei Singh. He was the landlord.

Three female tenants were also home at the time, around 2:30 a.m.

They ran out as smoke began to fill the house.

"I was sleeping, she woke me up, it was all smoky so we just rushed downstairs," said tenant Harish Kumari. "I didn't know what to do so I just put my flip flops on and came out."

Dozens of firefighters responded. They knocked down the fire in just about an hour.

Investigators have not yet determined the cause, although they spent a lot of time focusing on electrical wires just outside the house.

Singh's family was at the scene Sunday morning but were too emotional to speak with us.