Victims ID'd in Massachusetts assisted living facility fire that killed 9, cause under investigation
Several of the people killed were identified Monday, including Rui Albernaz, 64; Ronald Codega, 61; Margaret Duddy, 69; Robert King, 78; Kim Mackin, 71; Richard Rochon, 78; and Eleanor Willett, 86.
The identities of a 70-year-old woman and a 77-year-old man were being withheld until their families could be notified, the Bristol County District Attorney's Office said in a news release.
Holly Mallowes, Willett's granddaughter, told NBC Boston that her grandmother 'was the rock of the family.'
'We're praying she went peacefully from the smoke,' she said. 'That's weighing on us. Was there any suffering?'
Rochon's family said he was a sharpshooter in the Army and a Vietnam veteran.
'He loved getting visits from his niece and nephew,' his niece, Breonna Cestodio, said.
Mackin's nephew, Austin Mackin, told The Associated Press in an emailed statement that his aunt was a 'gift beyond words.'
'We will all miss Kimmy,' the statement read. 'Beyond being exceptionally kind, few knew that she was a brilliant musician.'
The fire broke out around 9:30 p.m. Sunday at the Gabriel House Assisted Living Residence, which houses nearly 70 people. More than 30 people had been taken to local hospitals, officials said. One person was in critical condition.
The fire damage was contained to one wing, but there was heavy smoke damage throughout the facility. Dozens of people had to be rescued by a ladder.
Lorraine Ferrara told The Associated Press that she woke up to a neighbor pounding on her door. She said she tried to escape through the smoke-filled hallway, but she had to go back to her room because the sprinkler system was shooting hot water onto her back.
Ferrara said she opened her window and yelled for help. A firefighter broke the window and carried her down the ladder.
'I really thought I was going to die,' she said. 'I thought there was no way out.'
The owner of Gabriel House did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Tuesday.
Massachusetts Gov. Maura Healey called the fire a 'tragedy' and said a full investigation is underway.
'We are all praying for those who lost loved ones and for the full recovery of those who were injured,' she said in a statement.
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