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obituario/ u.s. news Diaranson 9 Februari 2022
Families sue building owners over Bronx fire
that killed 17
(AP) — Several families whose loved ones
died or were critically injured while trying
to escape a smoked-filled Bronx apartment
Ki alegria, ora nan a bisa mi: building sued the owners Tuesday, alleging
“Ban cas di Señor!” safety violations that led to the wrongful
I awor, ata mi aki para na bo porta Señor. deaths of 17 people, including eight children.
Salmo 122
The five lawsuits were filed on behalf of the fami-
Cu dolor na nos curason, nos ta participa lies by Benjamin Crump, a high-profile civil rights
fayecimento di nos ser stima: attorney based in Florida, and the New York law
firm Weitz & Luxenberg.
“We have a lot of the families who paid such a
tragic loss in the apartment fire,” Crump said dur-
ing a news conference outside the building, say-
ing that violations of city safety rules “caused un-
speakable loss of life and injury to these families,
mostly from Africa.”
Fire officials say a malfunctioning electric space
heater started the blaze the morning of Jan. 9.
While the fire damaged only a small part of the
building, it produced black, caustic smoke that
quickly engulfed the complex. The suffocating
smoke rose through a stairwell of the 19-story
building and killed people as they attempted to
flee.
Several relatives of the fire victims spoke at the
Sra. Jeanette Sukraj “These Black families who lost so much that seem news conference to express frustration over the
*13-09-1939 - †06-02-2022 to be marginalized not only before the tragic fire uncertainties spawned by the fire as they look for
broke out, but even in the aftermath,” Crump new places to live. Some remain in hotel rooms.
Acto di entiero lo wordo anuncia despues said.
“What happened on Jan. 9 was very devastating
and tragic, and very unexpected, and could have
been avoided. I lost my sister in the fire. She was
trying to come down to save my family,” said
Fatima Janneh, whose sister Sera, 27, was among
those killed.
“We need justice for the families that lost people,
as well as the other tenants in the building. We’re
all victims to what happened here,” Janneh said.
The lawsuits, filed in Superior Court in the
Laga tur locual cu ta spera mi ta bunita Bronx, names Bronx Park Phase III Preservation,
“Señor ta mi wardador, mi’n tin falta di nada Laga tur locual cu mi encontra na caminda ta the Bronx Phase III Housing Co., and three in-
Den cunucu di yerba berde e ta ponemi sosega. bunita vestment groups as defendants.
E ta hibami na awa trankil, Laga tur locual cu ta rondonami ta bunita
Pa mi bolbe haña forsa”. Y laga esakinan termina den tur bunitesa. An email was sent to the building owners seeking
Salmo: 23 Cado Wever comment on the lawsuit.
Cu profundo dolor na nos curason pero Nos ta anuncia fayecimento di: The lawsuit does not specify any monetary dam-
conforme cu boluntad di Dios, nos ta anuncio ages being sought, nor does it mention any spe-
cu a bai sosega den brasa di Señor: cific safety violations.
But another attorney for the families, Larry Gold-
hirsch, said those specifics will be identified in
the coming weeks — including malfunctioning
door springs and windows that could not open.
In their haste to escape, the occupants of the
apartment where the fire started left their front
door open behind them.
Spring-loaded hinges that were supposed to shut
the door automatically did not work. A second
door left open in a stairwell higher up acted as a
flue, sucking smoke upward.
Sylvio Theodoor Cominencia Fire investigators said that the apartment’s front
Josephine G. Letang door and a door on the 15th floor should have
*01-03-1953 - †06-02-2022 *20-12-1936 - †07-02-2022 been self-closing to help contain the spreading
smoke, but that the doors stayed fully open. It
Acto di entiero lo wordo anuncia despues. Acto di entiero lo wordo anuncia despues. was not clear if the doors failed mechanically or if
they had been manually disabled.
