The two-alarm fire was first reported at 7:36 a.m., Sunday.
A fierce blaze at a Queens apartment building claimed the life of one man and seriously injured seven other people - some of whom jumped from windows to escape, fire officials and witnesses said.
Two of the helpless victims ran out of the Middle Village building engulfed in flames and begged for help from the owner of the deli that sits on the ground floor.
"It's not easy to see someone on fire - I did the best I could," said Mohammad Al Matari, 45, describing how he and a customer doused the burning victims with gallons of cold water from his stock.
The fire, which broke out at about 7:30 a.m., also forced three people to jump from second - and third-story windows - even as passersby urged the frantic victims to wait for the FDNY to arrive with ladders.
"She had no other choice - there was smoke and flames right behind," said Bryan Onody, 47, describing a woman perched on a second-floor window sill who eventually jumped. "I had to turn away ... it was terrible."
Fire officials said 106 firefighters battled the 2-alarm inferno and were able to control it in under an hour. But it had already taken a heavy toll.
A man's body was recovered from inside a burnt out apartment on the third floor, and three people were rushed to hospitals in critical condition. Four people were also taken to hospitals in serious condition.
Six firefighters were also treated at hospitals for minor injuries, the FDNY said.
Fire officials said the cause of the fire was being investigated, saying it began near one of the entrances to the building. It was deemed suspicious, officials said.
"We came out of this alive - we're very fortunate," said Orlando Merced, 48, a second-floor tenant who ushered his wife and two children out of the smokey structure.
