Five people died and at least three others were hospitalized after a fire broke out in a 24-story apartment building in Minneapolis early Wednesday, the city’s fire chief said.

It was not immediately clear what had caused the fire, which broke out on the 14th floor of a building on Cedar Avenue South in the southern part of the city, according to the chief, John Fruetel. He told reporters at the scene that the blaze had been brought under control.

The deaths were in different units on the 14th floor, and some of those who were injured were removed from a stairwell, he said. The chief said he did not have information about the names and ages of the people who had died.

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A firefighter was being medically evaluated, Chief Fruetel said.

“A very tragic night at the beginning of the holiday weekend,” he said.

The call about the fire came in around 4 a.m. local time, the chief said, and flames were shooting out of the windows on the 14th floor when firefighting crews arrived at the building. Firefighters had to search 10 floors above the fire.

“It had been burning for a while,” Chief Fruetel said.

This story will be updated.