Prosecutors: 5th child dies following Union City house fire

<p>A fifth child has died from injuries sustained in a Union City house fire last week.</p>

News 12 Staff

Jul 17, 2018, 2:18 PM

Updated 2,354 days ago

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A fifth child has died from injuries sustained in a Union City house fire last week.
The Hudson County Prosecutor's Office announced Tuesday that 4-year-old Shamira Lopez has died.
Officials have previously said that Friday morning's fire at a three-story home on the 400 block of 25th Street also killed three boys - 2-year-old Jason Gonzalez, 7-year-old Christian Josue Mendez and 13-year-old Jose Felipe Tejada - and a 5-year-old girl, Mayli Wood.
Shamira Lopez and the three boys were siblings. Mayli Wood was their cousin.
Officials say that the fire started on the first floor of the home and that the five children were upstairs when it happened. A woman and a man injured in the fire are in stable condition.
“It’s really painful and our hearts are with them,” says neighbor Gloria Rosas. “It’s really sad what happened. It was an accident of course.”
Neighbors have set up a memorial outside the remains of the home to honor the victims.
Union City Mayor Brian Stack met with the victims’ family. Stack says that the city will pay for the funerals for all five of the young victims. The funerals will be paid for in part through a GoFundMe page that has raised more than $34,000.
Eight firefighters were treated, mostly for smoke inhalation or heat-related issues.
The Red Cross has reported helping 30 people from eight families.
The cause of the fire remains under investigation
The Associated Press wire services contributed to this report.