The fire was one of the largest New York City has seen in years.
All 17 victims of this past weekend’s large fire in a Bronx apartment building were named Tuesday by authorities, the New York Post reported.
The youngest victim of the inferno was 2 years old, with the oldest being 50, the Post said.
All of the victims died of smoke inhalation, according to the medical examiner’s office. Authorities believe the fire in the 19-story building was caused by a faulty electrical heater.
New York City Mayor Eric Adams, who has been on the job less than two weeks, called the incident an "unspeakable tragedy."
Five members of one family died in the blaze, according to the New York Post. Haji Dukuray, 49, his wife, Haja Dukureh, 37, and their children, Mustapha Dukureh, 12, Mariam Dukureh, 12, and Fatoumata Dukureh, 5, perished.
Four members of another family passed away in the fire, according to People. Fatima Drammeh, 23, was at work when she was told her mother, Fatoumata Drammeh, 50; her brother, Muhammed Drammeh, 12; and her sisters Fatoumala Drammeh and Aisha Drammeh, 21 and 19; died Sunday.
Fatima’s cousin, Nhuma Darame, has organized a GoFundMe page for her relative. In the GoFundMe post, Darame said that her 16-year-old cousin, Yagub Drammeh, “was the only one rescued from the building and is currently being cared for in the hospital.”
The campaign has raised over $126,000 as of Wednesday afternoon with the money going toward Drammeh's housing expenses and her brother's medical bills.
Fatoumata Tunkara, 43, and her son, Omar Jambang, 6, perished in the fire. Tunkara is survived by her four other children, ranging in age from 9 to 19 years old, according to a GoFundMe. It is reported by her cousin on the GoFundMe page that the deceased were visiting a friend in the Bronx when the fire broke out. They are wishing to bring the bodies back to Gambia for burial.
Sera Janneh, 27, a college student, perished while her family was able to get to safety. Janneh’s youngest sister Aisha is currently “intubated with hopes of recovering from her injuries,” according to GoFundMe.
Ousmane Konteh, 2, was the youngest victim of the tragedy. Other children lost on Sunday include Haouwa Mahamadou, 5, and Seydou Toure, 12, according to the New York Post.
Hagi Jawara, 47, and his wife, Isatou Jabbie, 31, leave behind four children.
The deadly Bronx blaze was fueled by two malfunctioning doors that should have closed automatically, but instead remained wide open, fire officials said.
Fire Commissioner Daniel Nigro said the apartment’s front door and another on the 15th floor should have been self-closing, which would have helped to block smoke, but the doors stayed fully open.
Toxic smoke engulfed the 19-story apartment complex, forcing residents to hang out their windows to breathe.
On Twitter, the Fire Department of New York warned residents about the dangers of open doors during home blazes.
"Closing the door behind you when escaping the fire will trap the fire, prevent it from spreading and save lives," the message advised.
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