Bronx high-rise fire: Memorial wall pays tribute to victims as we learn more about lives lost

By John Dias

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    NEW YORK (WCBS) — We now know the identities of all 17 people who were killed in Sunday’s tragic fire at a Bronx high-rise.

The youngest was just 2. The oldest: A 50-year-old mother.

As CBS2’s John Dias reports, in the shadows of a building that will forever remind the city of a heart-crushing nightmare is a memorial for those taken too soon. They say a picture is worth 1,000 words, but with each photo at the memorial comes countless tears. They’re just some of the faces of the fallen and severely injured.

“I cried so much that it hurt,” said Dayshawn Taylor. “You just can’t eat and swallow and digest. Something that will never be the same.”

“Speechless. I wish this would have never happened,” said Edwin Rivera.

Many are still in pain. The losses from Sunday’s deadly Bronx high-rise fire in Fordham Heights – 17 beautiful lives – has them questioning why. The youngest was just 2-years-old, and others proving bravery doesn’t necessarily come with age.

“I just know he was trying to save his sister, but then they got stuck,” said Levwin Torres.

Torres says his best friend, 12-year-old Seydou Toure died a hero. He attempted to get his 5-year-old sister to safety, but they couldn’t escape the thick black smoke from the fire. Like all the victims, they both died of smoke inhalation.

Torres and his classmates at the Angelo Patri Middle School are now wearing homemade tributes around their necks.

“It was sad. It’s different without him,” Torres said.

The whole school is still reeling.

“It’s devastating. You get a little numb, because you think, how could something like this happen,” said teacher Craig Roberts.

Relatives are mourning the loss of the entire Dukureh family – loving parents, and their three children.

The suffocating smoke also killed 6-year-old Omar Jambang, and his loving mother, Fatoumata Tunkara. Her cousin says she was just visiting the building.

“My heart is broken completely,” said Ansumana Susso, whose cousin died in the fire. “I didn’t get to say goodbye. So that hurts my feelings.”

The victims have been identified as:

31-year-old Isatou Jabbie 47-year-old Hagi Jawara 2-year-old Ousmane Konteh 27-year-old Sera Janneh 12-year-old Seydou Toure 5-year-old Haouwa Mahamadou 49-year-old Haji Dukary 37-year-old Haja Dukureh 12-year-old Mustapha Dukureh 11-year-old Mariam Dukureh 5-year-old Fatoumata Dukureh 50-year-old Fatoumata Drammeh 21-year-old Foutmala Drammeh 12-year-old Muhammed Drammeh 19-year-old Nyumaaisha Drammeh 6-year-old Omar Jambang 43-year-old Fatoumata Tunkara

Investigators say the fire started accidentally due to a malfunctioning space heater. Members of the community are hoping others are forgiving, since they say many who use these heaters in the Bronx are immigrants from tropical areas.

“It’s very warm, and don’t blame anyone for having a space heater when it’s cold. Happens all the time, people need to be sensitive about these incidents,” one person said.

The investigation goes is still ongoing.

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