Cardi B Offers to Cover Funeral Expenses of All 17 Bronx Fire Victims

Bronx-raised Cardi B is joining New York City Mayor Eric Adams in covering the funeral expenses of the victims of the Bronx fire tragedy that killed 17 people last week.

“I’m extremely proud to be from the Bronx and I have lots of family and friends who live and work there still,” the rapper said in a release. “When I heard about the fire and all of the victims, I knew I needed to do something to help.”

On Jan. 9, a 19-story tower in the Bronx caught fire seemingly due to a faulty electrical heater. The blaze killed 17 people who were part of a community of immigrants from West Africa. Among the deceased were nine adults and eight children, including 2-year-old Ousmane Konteh, who was at the home of his babysitter, according to the New York Times.

In a statement announcing her support, Cardi expressed her condolences for the victims’ families as she joined the city mayor’s efforts to support the victims of the tragedy. “I cannot begin to imagine the pain and anguish that the families of the victims are experiencing, but I hope that not having to worry about the costs associated with burying their loved ones will help as they move forward and heal,” she wrote.

Cardi B’s contributions are being paired with that of the Bronx Fire Relief Fund, which has raised more than $2.5 million. “The resilience of this city reflects everyday New Yorkers who never turn their back on one another,” said Mayor Adams in a release. “We are grateful for Cardi B, a real superstar on and off the mic, for granting some critical financial relief to families of the victims.”

The families of the tragedy’s victims have also set up digital fundraisers of their own. Nhuma Darame, a member of the Drammeh family, set up a fundraiser to help Fatima Drammeh, who lost four of her family members in the fire while she was out at work. Her mother Faoumata, younger brother Muhammed, and sisters Aisha and Fatoumala died after the Bronx building caught fire. Meanwhile, her 16-year-old brother Yagub is “currently being cared for in the hospital.”

“As a community, it is our duty to come together during times like this and help one another in any way that we can,” Darame wrote. “Our goal is to raise enough to at least build a well for each of the family members we lost, In sha’Allah.” Darame has since raised more than $175,000.

Another fundraiser was set up for the children of Haji Jawara and Setou Jabbie, who were both killed in the fire and left behind four children. “All money that will be raised will be used to help with funeral expenses and care for the orphan children,” the GoFundMe description read. The fund has raised nearly $140,000.