Three people have been identified as victims of the powerful explosion that toppled two 5-story buildings on Wednesday in New York City's East Harlem neighborhood, killing at least seven people and injuring dozens more.
Griselde Camacho, Carmen Tanco and Rosaura Hernández were killed by the fire and collapse on Park Avenue after 9 a.m. following complaints of a gas leak, authorities said. All three were residents of the apartment complex above the Spanish Christian Church at 1644 Park Ave., one of the two buildings turned into rubble.
Camacho, 44, was a public safety officer at Hunter College and the mother of a teenage son. She was at home with her mother in their apartment when the building collapsed, the New York Daily News reports. Her mother was hospitalized and is in stable but serious condition as of Wednesday night, according to PIX11.
Griselde Camacho.
Jennifer Raab, the president of Hunter College, released a statement confirming the news. "Griselde was a well-liked member of our community, a respected officer and a welcoming presence," Raab said in a statement. "Our deepest sympathies go out to her family, and we are committed to doing everything we can to support them in their time of great emotional need."
Camacho had worked at Hunter College since 2008, and was recognized as Peace Officer Of The Year in 2010, according to a union newsletter. She previously worked as a police officer in Puerto Rico.
Tanco, 67, was the second victim identified by authorities. According to The Wall Street Journal, she had the day off from her job as a dental hygienist.
Her family began a frantic search for her when they realized she hadn't come to work Wednesday, according to News 12, where one of Tanco's cousins is a cameraman.
Tanco, who immigrated to New York from Puerto Rico as a teenager, was always a "helpful person," her cousin Diana Cortez told The New York Times. "If you were sick, she came to your home and cooked for you and cleaned for you." A director at Tanco's church described her to Newsday as a "bundle of energy."
Rosaura Hernández, 21, also perished in the disaster, the Associated Press reported, citing police.
Authorities have not yet identified three other victims -- two men and a woman -- whose bodies were pulled from the rubble overnight. Fire officials said early Thursday that a seventh person had been killed, though no other details were yet available.