One dead, two seriously injured in early morning fire in Toronto

Toronto police say a man has died and two people have been taken to hospital with life-threatening injuries after a fire broke out in downtown Toronto.

A man in his 40s was pronounced dead at hospital after the fire and two others, including a man in his 70s, were taken to hospital with life-threatening injuries, police said.

Shortly after 1 a.m., firefighters were called to a fire at an apartment building operated by the All Saints Church, a Toronto Fire Service spokesman said.

About 80 firefighters responded and pulled several people from the building amid the smoke, but the fire appeared to be mostly concentrated in one unit, he said.

The fire was quickly extinguished and the smoke cleared by late morning, when police said some displaced residents were allowed to return to the building, the fire department said.

Toronto Fire Services and the Ontario Fire Service are investigating the cause of the blaze.