Elderly mother, adult daughter presumed dead in Manville fire

MANVILLE (WABC) -- An elderly mother and her adult daughter are presumed dead in a fire that tore through a home in New Jersey early Wednesday.

The fire broke out inside the house on Harrison Avenue in Manville just before 5 a.m.

Firefighters responded to reports of two residents trapped, but they could not get into the house because of the intense flames.

Workers spent the morning searching the debris, and Manville Mayor Angelo Corradino says that one body was recovered and they are still looking for the other.

It is unknown which victim was found, the 70-year-old mother or the 52-year-old daughter, as authorities are waiting to make a positive identification.

The fire apparently started in the basement and consumed the first floor. The victims were trapped, and the entire first floor then collapsed into the basement, making the search difficult.