Surviving 'Black Sunday' firefighters point fingers at BX tenant for alleged death trap

The three people charged with manslaughter in the deaths of two firefighters killed in what has become known as ?Black Sunday,? appeared in the Bronx Supreme Court Friday.Two years ago, Curtis Meyran

News 12 Staff

Jan 27, 2007, 1:49 AM

Updated 6,543 days ago

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The three people charged with manslaughter in the deaths of two firefighters killed in what has become known as ?Black Sunday,? appeared in the Bronx Supreme Court Friday.Two years ago, Curtis Meyran and John Bellew and four other firefighters were forced to jump from Caridad Coste?s burning fourth-floor apartment. Fire officials say a partition Coste built to sublet the apartment to multiple tenants blocked the firefighters? path to the fire escape. However, Coste?s attorney maintains the fire?s location blocked access and there was another fire escape down the hallway. He also blames the tragedy on frozen hoses, bad communication and lack of safety ropes.The deadly fire was unofficially donned as ?Black Sunday? by the FDNY. At a memorial held on the second anniversary, one of the four surviving firefighters blamed his comrades? deaths on what he called ?a death trap? set by Coste. Attorneys for Coste and the other two defendants are filing motions to get the indictment thrown out. Meanwhile, the next court date is scheduled for April 10.