Two Chicago firefighters were killed Wednesday morning and 14 others were hurt when a roof and wall collapsed while they were fighting a fire in an abandoned, one-story, brick former laundry building on East 75th Street.

The two firefighters were identified as Edward Stringer, a 12-year veteran, and Cory Ankum, a member of the department for two years.

“The deaths of Firefighters Stringer and Ankum are both a sad reminder of how much gratitude we owe our first responders and a tragedy for all Chicagoans,’’ Mayor Daley said in a statement Wednesday afternoon.

Two other firefighters were trapped inside the former Sing Way Laundry at 1744 E. 75th, near South Shore High School, before being pulled to safety and taken to hospitals.

Firefighters including Fire Commissioner Robert Hoff swarmed the scene, furiously digging through rubble to find the missing firefighters. When the missing were located, they were quickly carried out of the building, with firefighters clearing a path.

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