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Jan 16, 2022 - Politics & Policy

Bronx community holds mass funeral for fire victims

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Hundreds of people attend a mass funeral for 15 of the 17 victims of a fire in a Bronx apartment building

Hundreds of people attend a mass funeral on Jan. 16 for 15 of the victims of a fire in a Bronx apartment building. Photo: Spencer Platt/Getty Images

A mass funeral was held in the Bronx on Sunday for the victims of a fire that filled a 19-story apartment building last week.

The big picture: The fire, caused by a defective electric space heater, killed 17 people, including eight children. Smoke from the blaze spread throughout the building, leaving dozens in life-threatening condition.

  • "People are dying because they lived in the Bronx," Sheikh Musa Drammeh, who led the memorial held at the Islamic Cultural Center in the Bronx, said per the Washington Post. "Their families will never ever see them again because they lived in the Bronx."
  • The Twin Parks North West complex, where the fire occurred, had been issued at least two violation notices ahead of the incident, according to the Post.

In photos

Photo: Tayfun Coskun/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images
An aerial view of funeral service held at the Islamic Cultural Center of the Bronx on Jan. 16. Photo: Tayfun Coskun/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images
People looking outside a window.
Women look out a window of the Islamic Cultural Center during the funeral. Photo: Spencer Platt/Getty Images
Caskets are brought into the Islamic Cultural Center for a mass funeral for 15
Caskets are brought into the Islamic Cultural Center for a mass funeral on Jan. 16 for victims of a fire in a Bronx apartment building. Photo: Spencer Platt/Getty Images
A mass funeral for 15 of the 17 victims of a fire in a Bronx apartment building on Jan. 16. Photo: Spencer Platt/Getty Images
A mass funeral on Jan 16. for 15 of the 17 victims of a fire in a Bronx apartment building. Photo: Spencer Platt/Getty Images
ew York City Mayor Eric Adams (R) and Senate Majority Leader Charles Schumer (D-NY) attend a mass funeral for 15
New York City Mayor Eric Adams and Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) attend a mass funeral on Jan. 16 for 15 victims of a fire in a Bronx apartment building. Photo: Spencer Platt/Getty Images
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