Unthinkable tragedy deepens: 5th child dies after Union City fire

UNION CITY – An unimaginable tragedy has taken another horrific turn: the 4-year-old girl who remained hospitalized in Philadelphia since Friday's devastating fire on 25th Street has died, authorities said.

Shamira Lopez is the fifth child to die of injuries after a five-alarm fire tore through 416 25th St. Her brothers -- Jason Gonzalez, 2 Christian Josue Mendez, 7, and Jose Felipe Tejada, 13 – and cousin, Mayli Wood, 5, were also killed.

Shamira was taken to Jersey City Medical Center on Friday and then flown that day to the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia.

Officials have only said the fire appears to have started on the first floor of the three-story home. Sources say a faulty electrical outlet may have been what caused the fire. The children were asleep on the third-floor when the fire broke out, a family friend said.

All of the children lived in the home.

Union City schools Superintendent Sylvia Abbato said Shamira and Mayli attended the preschool program. Christian was a second grade student and Jose attended Emerson Middle School. They were enrolled in the dual-language program.

Abbato described the children as caring and bright students who moved from Honduras a few years ago. The parents participated in many of the schools' activities.

"A very conscientious two young men," Abbato said of Christian and Jose. "The district, we are all devastated."

Social workers have volunteered their time to make counseling available for students and staff.

The tragedy has left the Union City community in mourning, with a growing memorial of teddy bears, candles, balloons, and flowers placed outside of the home. A total of 29 people from 10 families were displaced by the fire, which also spread to 414 25th St.

Friends of Agustin Hernandez, the 2-year-old's father, have been collecting money to help support the family. Hernandez is singer in the group Grupo Son Latino and is from El Salvador.

Comite Unidos El Aceituno, a local committee that raises money to help people in El Salvador, as well as locals in need, held a fundraising event on Palisade Avenue.

Union City also created a GoFundMe page to help the fire victims, which has raised nearly $30,000 since its launch on Saturday.

A funeral has not yet been announced for the children. Leber Funeral Home will be donating its services to the family of the five children and the remaining costs will be covered through donations.

Caitlin Mota may be reached at cmota@jjournal.com. Follow her on Twitter @caitlin_mota. Find The Jersey Journal on Facebook.

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