Sisters killed in deadly Philadelphia apartment building blaze

Two sisters are among 12 people killed in a Philadelphia apartment building blaze, with grieving relatives fearful that many of the siblings’ 11 young children also died.

Family members said sisters Virginia Thomas, 30, and Rosalee McDonald, 33, were killed in an apartment fire Wednesday morning in Philadelphia’s Fairmount section that authorities said killed at least 12 people, including seven children.

The woman’s cousin Aneisha Thomas told the Philly Inquirer that she was mourning her relatives, and that she fears Thomas’s five young children and McDonald’s six youngsters are also among the victims. They have yet to discover which of the youngsters may have lost their lives, or survived.  

The blaze was first reported at 6.38am at 860 North 23rd Street where 26 people were living across two apartments on three floors.

Eighteen people occupied the second and third floor duplex apartment, and eight live on the first floor. The fire began on the second floor then spread upwards, tearing through the top of the building.

By the time firefighters could get inside around 50 minutes later, 12 of the 18 in the second and third floor apartment had died. Firefighters rescued two survivors, one of whom was a child and is now in the hospital. The eight residents of the first floor apartment were able to escape unharmed.

While officials have not named any of the victims, Aneisha Thomas, 36, told the Philadelphia Inquirer that the deceased include her two first cousins Thomas and Mcdonald, plus several of their children. ‘When I go visit Philly, it’s going to be a void,’ Thomas, 36, told the Inquirer. ‘It’s going to be a blank stare when I visit because of how I can’t go visit them.’ 

Virginia Thomas, who was known as Jenny, and McDonald, known as Rose, were both Muslim, Thomas’ friend Caprice Duckett told the Inquirer. 

‘She didn’t bother nobody,’ Duckett said of Thomas.  

Thomas hobbies included doing hair and getting tattoos and piercings.  

Duckett said Thomas tattooed the names of her four children-Shaniece, Natasha, Janiyah, Rahsean- and pierced her tongue with a horizonal barbell.  

Duckett told the Inquirer that while Thomas liked to party she was very family oriented, celebrating her children’s birthdays- most recently her eldest daughter Shaniece’s tenth birthday and Natasha’s seventh birthday this November.   

Meanwhile, McDonald and Thomas’s sister Jacuita Purifoy said that her family was still waiting on a final list of who they lost. 

‘I don’t have no emotion, so I can’t really speak about nothing because I’m still trying to figure out what’s going on, just like everybody else,’ Purifoy, 37, told the Inquirer. 

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The fire was at 860 North 23rd Street in Philadelphia, less than two miles north of the city center and its famous Rittenhouse Square

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Firefighters are still working through the debris inside the building. The deputy fire commissioner warned there may be more victims recovered

Fire officials said the fire began in the kitchen of the upstairs apartment, the Inquirer reported.

The cause of the deadly blaze remains unknown. There were four smoke detectors across the two apartments but none sounded the alarm on Wednesday. 

Philadelphia Housing Authority says all were inspected in May and were working. 

Mayor Jim Kenney choked on tears as he spoke at the scene. He called it ‘without a doubt one of the most tragic days in the city’s history.’ 

‘I’ve been around for 35 years now and this is probably one of the worst fires I’ve ever been to. I don’t have the words for how we’re feeling right now,’ Philadelphia Deputy Fire Commissioner Craig Murphy said. 

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