On the recordJanuary 19, 2022
I come here with the heaviest heart. My beloved Bronx saw the deadliest fire in the history of New York City in more than three decades; a fire that has left a death count of 17 residents, including 8 children. A malfunctioning space heater was the immediate cause of the fire in a duplex on the third floor of a 19-story building known as Twin Parks North West. And even though the fire was largely limited to the third floor, both the apartment door and the nearby stairwell door were left open, causing the smoke to spread rapidly and widely throughout the 19- story building. Since the building has no fire escapes and since the stairwells were full of black, toxic smoke, the tenants had no means of escape. The smoke spread so widely that victims were found on every floor. The fatalities were tenants who died from severe smoke inhalation from cardiac and respiratory arrest. Almost all of the victims came from a single town in Gambia. The Gambian community has had roots in Twin Parks North West that date back more than half a century. It is hard to imagine a more closely knit community, a community more tied by the bonds of faith and family and fellowship than the Gambian community of Twin Parks North West, and so the loss is deeply felt. The victims were as young as 2, and no older than 50. These were victims who had their whole lives ahead of them. Ousmane Konteh was only 2 years old. Muhammed Drammeh celebrated his twelfth birthday.…
