Mom dies of injuries after 3 kids, 1 adult killed in furniture store fire

ByEyewitness News WABC logo

Tuesday, October 13, 2020

Mom dies of injuries after 3 kids killed in furniture store fire

The mother of two children who were killed in the fire has died of her injuries.

ELIZABETH, New Jersey (WABC) -- A fifth victim has died a week after four people -- including three children -- were killed in a fire at a furniture store in New Jersey.

The Elizabeth mayor's office announced Tuesday morning a woman who initially survived the blaze has died from her injuries late last week.

Merlyn Vasquez, a mother of two of the victims, had survived the fire but was hospitalized in grave condition.

The five-alarm fire tore through a commercial building in Elizabeth Monday evening, apparently starting in a first-floor dollar store soda machine and quickly spreading, trapping the victims in a second-floor furniture store.

The youngest victim was identified as 8-year-old Daniela Marquez, removed Monday, while her 10-year-old sister Paola was among those found Tuesday morning.

A family friend, 11-year-old Elizabeth Correas, was also killed, along with another woman identified as Candida Martinez-Del Reyes, who was also found under the debris Tuesday morning.

Residents came together last week to pray and bring closure to the family that is suffering.

Residents came together Wednesday evening to pray and bring closure to the family that is suffering, after three children and a woman perished in a fire in Elizabeth.

Authorities believe smoke detectors were working, but the building was engulfed so quickly that even first responders who arrived in minutes were helpless to rescue the victims.

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Their efforts were impeded by locked bars on a converted door and an incredible amount of smoke, and all of the victims were all found near the locked gate.

Authorities say the building is owned by Okay Roger Reality, of Brooklyn, and there are now questions about the escape route that was blocked and turned into a death trap.

Some residents at the vigil claim that the building has "illegal conversions" and want the store owner to be brought to justice.

Residents came together to pray for the victims of a tragic and deadly fire in Elizabeth. Some residents claim the building where the fire started had "illegal conversions."

They claim that the last inspection inside the furniture store was four years ago, when the new owner purchased the location.

"The fire and police department did a miraculous job early, but the smoke overcame them," said Bollwage, who called it a "sad day."

Officials say the fire was fueled by cribs and other items inside the furniture store, which proved easy tinder for the flames.

Three police officers happened to be only a block away, and Eyewitness News was told they were on the scene immediately and tried desperately to reach the victims.

It took more than 100 firefighters 3 1/2 hours to get the scene under control.

"It was hard to control from spreading," Elizabeth Fire Director Pat Byrnes said. "We didn't see white smoke until an hour. It was constant black smoke, and we were putting lot of water on it."

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