Cardi B Is Paying For The Funeral Costs Of Victims Of Bronx Fire
Cardi B plans to pay the funeral costs for those who lost their lives in a deadly fire in a Bronx apartment building, where 17 people were killed, including 8 children.
Cardi B, who is a Bronx native, said in a statement to CNN that “I’m extremely proud to be from the Bronx and I have lots of family and friends who live and work there still. So, when I heard about the fire and all of the victims, I knew I needed to do something to help. I cannot begin to imagine the pain and anguish that the families of the victims are experiencing, but I hope that not having to worry about the costs associated with burying their loved ones will help as they move forward and heal. I send my prayers and condolences to everyone affected by this horrific tragedy.”
According to her rep, the rapper partnered up with The Mayor’s Fund to Advance New York City to make sure that the families of all the victims would be included in her donation and “that the final wishes for their loved ones were met.” The state of New York announced this week that it would be granting $2 million to a fund for the victims.
Per the Washington Post, officials said a malfunctioning space heater sparked the fire, and two interior doors left open enabled deadly smoke to spread quickly throughout the building. Investigators are looking into why the doors were left open, as regulations require that the doors be equipped with self-closing mechanisms. City officials said the safety doors in the apartments had been repeatedly flagged by inspectors for failing to close properly.
New York Attorney General Letitia James said during the mass funeral for the victims, “No individuals should have to have space heaters. No individuals should have doors that do not close. There were conditions in that building that should have been corrected. There were conditions in that building that should have been inspected.”
The 17 victims were identified by city officials as Isatou Jabbie, 31; Hagi Jawara, 47; Ousmane Konteh, 2; Sera Janneh, 27; Seydou Toure, 12; Haouwa Mahamadou, 5; Haji Dukary, 49; Haja Dukureh, 37; Mustapha Dukureh, 12; Mariam Dukureh, 11; Fatoumata Dukureh, 5; Fatoumata Drammeh, 50; Foutmala Drammeh, 21; Muhammed Drammeh, 12; Nyumaaisha Drammeh, 19; Omar Jambang, 6; and Fatoumata Tunkara, 43.