Somber ceremony honors lives lost in Twin Parks fire

The Twin Parks fire victims were from West Africa – including eight children. About 1,000 people arrived at the cultural center to pay their respects.

News 12 Staff

Jan 16, 2022, 12:22 PM

Updated 991 days ago

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A somber ceremony has held at the Islamic Cultural Center in Morrisania for 15 of the 17 victims of the Bronx apartment fire last weekend.
The Twin Parks fire victims were from West Africa – including eight children. About 1,000 people arrived at the cultural center to pay their respects.
More than a dozen hearses lined the streets as 15 coffins draped in black cloth were rolled into the mosque. Some just a few feet long, as the youngest victim was just 2 years old.
Two families lost several family members in the blaze.
"At this moment in time, the families are in so much grief, they need our support for their own emotional health,” said Lamin Jabang.
Elected leaders spoke at the ceremony, including Mayor Eric Adams, state Attorney General Letitia James and Rep. Ritchie Torres.
"Those we lost belong to god, and today they return to god," said the mayor.
“Individuals who are responsible for the neglect of that building and for so many fires in the Bronx must be held accountable,” said AG James.
Authorities said the fire was sparked by a faulty space heater in a third-floor apartment. It was exacerbated by self-closing doors that didn’t close.
Most of the victims were brought to a cemetery in Neptune, New Jersey. Four of the bodies will be flown back to their homeland of Gambia.