Prayer vigil marks 3 years since Bronx high-rise fire that killed 17 people
FORDHAM HEIGHTS, The Bronx (WABC) -- A vigil was held Thursday night to remember the 17 victims killed by a ferocious fire in an apartment building in the Bronx, three years ago.
Prayers honoring the 17 victims of the Twin Parks fire echoed through the Masjid, where many of those victims, who were all Muslim members of the Bronx's Gambian community, once gathered with their families.
"We lost members of our family, but we gained millions more," said Haji Dukuray, who lost five family members in the fire, including three children.
The five-alarm fire started by space heaters, spreading when stairwell doors didn't close properly on that frigid day three years ago.
The outpouring of support, and Dukuray's faith have been his sources of strength.
On Thursday night, he called together faith leaders who came through then and became a part of that new family.
RELATED | Vigils, street co-naming mark 1 year since deadly Bronx apartment fire
"There is so much dividing us today," Dukuray said. "But there is so much bringing us together in love and caring. The most important thing to us is when you leave, what did you leave behind. Did you leave a legacy? Is there anything that you left that is going to benefit people?"
Dukuray says he hopes the tragedy and the loss that his family had will benefit other people.
Earlier on Thursday, as Bronx elected officials honored the victims and read their names, they reflected on the change the tragedy should bring.
"We have learned a lot in three years," said Bronx Borough President Vanessa Gibson. "We have learned about space heaters, regulations. We've learned about government oversight, landlord accountability."
"We have to continue to do the work, as the Bronx, as elected officials, as government to make sure that that never happens again," Bronx District Attorney Darcel Clark said.
Twin Parks North West was for decades, the first American home for many members of this Bronx Gambian community, but after the tragedy, many survivors moved away. On one hand, looking for less haunting surroundings, but on the other, further spreading this tight community's diaspora.
"So to us, breaking that cycle of how many generations have lived in that building, now they don't want to go to that building, and it's sad for us," Dukuray said.
That's why it was all the more meaningful Thursday night to remind those whose pain hasn't faded with time, that the city that mourned with this community won't forget.
----------
* Download the abc7NY app for breaking news alerts
Submit a tip or story idea to Eyewitness News
Have a breaking news tip or an idea for a story we should cover? Send it to Eyewitness News using the form below. If attaching a video or photo, terms of use apply.
