New York,
A mass funeral prayer was held on Sunday for the Muslims who lost their lives in the deadly residential building fire in the Tremont section of the Bronx, New York City.
The funeral was held at the Masjid e Rehma Islamic Cultural Center in the Bronx for 15 of the 17 victims of the apartment building fire. The fire victims and attendees was mostly from the Gambia.
“This is a very sad situation. But everything comes from Allah. Tragedies always happen, but we should thank Allah that we are all able to come together,” said the uncle of a victim named Haji Dukuray who lost her entire family of five, including her husband and their three kids.
New York City Mayor Eric Adams and Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, as well as two officials from the Gambian government, were present at the funeral.
“When tragedies occur, we come together,” Schumer said at the funeral.
Besides, “I’m here to voice the pain that all New Yorkers feel,” Adams said.
After the funeral ceremony, 11 of the bodies were sent to New Jersey to be buried, and on the request of fire victims families, four others will be buried in the Gambia.
At least 17 people, including eight children, died in the apartment fire and 63 people were poisoned by smoke on Jan 9.
According to the New York Mayor’s Office, the majority of the residents in the building were immigrant Muslims from Gambia, a West African country.
Here is the complete list of fire victims who did not survive:
Ousmane Konteh
2-year-old boy
Haouwa Mahamadou
5-year-old girl
Fatoumata Dukureh
5-year-old girl
Omar Jambang
6-year-old boy
Mariam Dukureh
11-year-old girl
Mustapha Dukureh
12-year-old boy
Muhammed Drammeh
12-year-old boy
Seydou Toure
12-year-old boy
Nyumaaisha Drammeh
19-year-old woman
Fatoumata Drammeh
21-year-old woman
Sera Janneh
27-year-old woman
Isatou Jabbie
31-year-old woman
Haja Dukureh
37-year-old woman
Fatoumata Tunkara
43-year-old woman
Haji Jawara
47-year-old man
Haji Dukaray
49-year-old man
Fatoumata Drammeh
50-year-old female
