Baby burned to death by leaking radiator one day after taking his first steps

27 January 2024 , 22:57

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Little Binyomin Zachariah died after a faulty radiator began releasing steam while he slept (Image: thechesedfund)

An 11-month-old baby boy was tragically burned to death by a faulty radiator in the New York home where he lived with his family.

Little Binyomin Zachariah was at home with his 27-year-old mum Bessie and one-month-old twins when the tragedy happened. Law enforcement sources said the boy was found in his crib with critical burns from a radiator that was releasing steam as he slept.

His mum, who was feeding one of the kids in another room, called the emergency services after hearing a loud sound from the other room. The New York City Police Department (NYPD) said Binyomin was rushed to Maimonides Medical Center in Brooklyn, New York City, where he was pronounced dead.

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Alexander Kuravsky and his wife Bessie said they won't be returning to their Midwood apartment (Facebook)

Cops said the radiator malfunctioned, causing a dangerous amount of steam to leak out of it. An investigation by the Buildings Department found the leak occurred because a nipple connection to a radiator was off, discharging steam into the bedroom.

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The agency issued a "cease use" for the building's boiler and ordered them to make repairs to the leaking radiators. The investigation is ongoing and according to the New York Post, landlord Ruvin Itskovich was hit with six violations – including failure to maintain the building's radiator - which could carry up to $62,500 (£49,000) in penalties. The case goes to an Office of Administrative Trials and Hearings judge on March 27.

The family's upstairs neighbour Roman Kvaratskhelia, 46, told the New York Post that the baby's mum opened the front door to the first respondents. She added: "I was having breakfast in my apartment. I can't imagine. I have kids."

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The building in New York City where the family lived (google)

Another neighbour, Michael Roberto, said he was "shocked" after the incident as he noted the person responsible for the building was "very good" at fixing issues. He said: "I can't believe this, I really can't believe this. I mean, they just had twins! I'm shaking."

Binyomin's grieving aunt Natalie Akselrod said he had taken his first steps in life just one day before he died. The 47-year-old said: "We have footage of him taking his first steps a day before this horrible tragedy happened." She added the family is now "shattered" and that while the family's belongings are in the apartment, they "have no intention of going back there."

Talking about the nearly 100-year-old, four-story brick building on East 14th Street off Avenue J in the Midwood neighbourhood of NYC, the distraught aunt said: "I'm not saying the landlord deliberately caused it, but it is an old building, and the radiators are always malfunctioning and always making weird noises, and this is unacceptable. This was a murder of a baby. For a baby to be steamed alive in his bedroom is unacceptable."

She added: "The landlord wasn't even at the site. I think he at least owed them an appearance and an expression of condolences, but that did not happen."

Binyomin's dad Alexander Kuravsky, 36, added: "Buildings, new and old, require careful, consistent, honest inspection … And the only way for that to happen is for there to be accountability." He said that while he is not sure "who exactly should be held accountable" for his son's death, "absolutely people need to be held accountable because there are millions of people that are living with steam radiators - and many of whom also have children and babies inside of their homes."

He described his son, whose Hebrew name translates to Benjamin in English, as "a happy–go–lucky, energetic, young boy with an incredible sense of humour." He added: "I don't think he was a regular baby. Most of us die at 80, 90, 100 - we're lucky. But for some reason, God wanted him earlier, and if God wanted him earlier, I do not believe that he was a regular child – a regular baby. There was something unique [about him], something that I can't fathom yet. It feels like the whole world is crying for him."

Chiara Fiorillo