Family Members Of Bronx Apartment Building Fire Victims Frustrated By Lack Of Information On Whereabouts
NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) -- Families were still searching for loved ones 24 hours after the deadly Bronx apartment building fire. Many gathered Monday at a mosque near the scene to pray.
Yusupha Jawara said he doesn't know what to do. He has searched every hospital in the area and he still can't find his younger brother, Hagi, or Hagi's wife, Isatou.
"All they kept telling us, call 311. I called 311 more than 40 times. Every time they tell me they have no information for me. We have the right to know what happened to our loved ones, if they are alive or dead," Jawara told CBS2's Leah Mishkin.
READ MORE: Death Toll Updated To 17, Including 8 Children, In Bronx High-Rise Fire, Adams Says
The last time he spoke to his brother was over the phone on Saturday, the night before the fire. They were catching up. Hagi had just taken a trip to The Gambia, West Africa to visit family. His three kids are still there on vacation, trying to get news about their parents.
"The oldest should be around 15. The other one around 12 or 11. The youngest is about 4. The kids have been calling me constantly yesterday, trying to know," Jawara said, breaking down.
The Fordham Heights resident came to the mosque on Webster Avenue to pray. He was surrounded by fellow members who were also waiting for answers on loved ones.
"We have to console each other, because it's the whole community. It's not only me alone. The whole community is affected by this," Jawara said.
Adam Dukuray was searching for his nephew and his wife when CBS2 spoke with him. He found out later Monday afternoon the couple had died, along with their three kids.
READ MORE: Bronx High-Rise Fire: What To Do If You Were Impacted & How To Help Survivors
Dukuray showed Mishkin pictures of the 5-, 11- and 12-year-old kids who lost their lives, and their parents. Out of respect to the family, CBS2 is not releasing their images yet.
Musa Kabba, the imam at the mosque, said he believes many of the 17 victims are members.
"I tell them to rely on Allah. It's not anybody's fault," Kabba said.
Dukuray said he hopes to bury his nephew and his nephew's family at home, in The Gambia. He said he is relying on his faith to get through this difficult time.
CBS2's Leah Mishkin contributed to this report.