Two Kansas City veteran firefighters were killed during an apartment blaze Monday when the portion of the building they were in collapsed around them.
Larry Leggio, a 17-year veteran of Missouri's Kansas City Fire Department, and John V. Mesh, who had been with the department for 13 years, were identified as the
fallen firefighters, according to KCTV.
Officials said that two other firefighters were transported to the hospital for injuries. One was treated and released while the second was admitted overnight by doctors for observation.
Two people from the apartment building were rescued and unharmed, fire chief Paul Berardi told KCTV.
"It's difficult when you live with somebody for 24-hours a day, and you're laughing and joking one minute and then something like this happens in the line of duty," Berardi said. "What's good for their families to know is that they didn't die in vain. They saved two civilians, carried them out of the second floor on ladders before the wall collapsed."
Firefighters arrived at the apartment building in the 2600 block of Independence Avenue around 7:30 p.m.
, the Kansas City Star reported. Firefighters were clearing out an area with a partially collapsed roof when the building crumbled.
Lawrence Ray Lee, one of the residents who escaped the fire, told the Star that it is the second time this year that the apartment building has been damaged by fire.
"I was lying down and heard somebody yell, 'Everybody get out,'" Lee said. "I opened my door and there was smoke really bad."
Chris Brown, a resident that lives nearby, told the newspaper that he wanted to show his children, ages 11 and 8, the firefighters at work and was sad to hear about the deaths.
"It was so close to home and I heard a few firefighters got injured so I wanted to see what was going on," he said. "My prayers go out for them. I hate seeing anyone get injured doing their job."