A 74-year-old man was found alive a few days after the fire in DC's senior's housing center

A 74-year-old man was found alive in a heavily damaged building five days after the fire tore up the complex.

(FOX5DC)

A 74-year-old man was found alive in Washington, DC, in a damaged senior housing center. On Monday, a few days after a violent fire ravaged the premises and left him stuck in his apartment.

The man, who lived in the Arthur Capper Senior Complex, in the Navy Yard neighborhood, was trapped in an apartment when authorities found him Monday morning. Officials said that the man, who was not identified, had a "sense of humor" and was taken to a chair.

"We did not know that he was in the building," said DC Mayor Muriel Bowser at a press conference Monday, adding that the authorities thought the man was a resident of the second floor.

Bowser said the man had been taken to hospital with injuries that were not life-threatening. It's unclear how he survived the five-day ordeal, even though he had bottled water on his counter. Officials said that he appeared to be in "unbelievably good shape".

The authorities said the management company had initially confirmed that everyone living in the building was well known, but acknowledged Monday that they had not seen the 74-year-old man since Wednesday's fire.

The complex was heavily damaged after catching fire on Wednesday around 15:30, prompting firefighters and about 100 Marines to rush to the scene to rescue residents, FOX5DC reported. A video captured some of the Marines heading towards the complex as smoke emerged from the roof and then collapsed.

According to FOX5DC, more than half of the 160 residents displaced by the fire have been transferred to the King Greenleaf Recreation Center. Authorities inspected the building to check for stability and what might have caused the fire.

Four people were first taken to the hospital for life-threatening injuries.