Cardi B Is Paying Funeral Costs for Victims of the Bronx Fire

A fire ignited in a Bronx apartment building on Jan. 9, killing 17 people.

Cardi B is stepping up to help those in her hometown. The 29-year-old rapper, who is from the Bronx, a New York City borough, is paying for the funeral and burial costs of those who died after a fire ignited in an apartment building. In total, 17 people were killed.

"I’m extremely proud to be from the Bronx and I have lots of family and friends who live and work there still," Cardi said in a statement. "So, when I heard about the fire and all of the victims, I knew I needed to do something to help. 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 continued, “I send my prayers and condolences to everyone affected by this horrific tragedy."

Cardi has partnered with The Mayor’s Fund to Advance New York City to make sure that all the victims are included and accounted for, and that their final wishes are met. The emcee will also pay repatriation expenses, the costs involved in transporting a claimant or their body back to their own country, for some of the victims who will be buried in the West African country of The Gambia, where they were from. 

According to Daniel Nigro, the commissioner of the New York City Fire Department, the fire was started by a malfunctioning space heater. As a result of the fire, 17 people were killed, eight of those being children.

RELATED CONTENT: